Nassau Business Owner Charged With Scamming Customer

The owner of a Valley Stream used car dealership was arrested Thursday and charged with fraud for a scam he allegedly committed last year.

According to Nassau detectives, Neil Sims, 59, of Hunting Hollow Court in Dix Hills, allegedly defruaded a 23-year-old during a vehicle transaction. Sims, owner of 1-800 Preowned, located at 400 West Merrick Road in Valley Stream, accepted extra money from the victim, who was trading in his 2013 Honda Civic to purchase a 2010 BMW. The extra money was supposed to be used to pay off the remaining loan on the Honda. The victim later discovered the balance was never paid.

Police say Sims sold the Honda without ever paying off the loan.

Earlier this month, Sims' business was the target of the Department of Motor Vehicles after many customers complained to the DMV that they had purchased cars from 1-800 Preowned, paid extra for titles, and then never received them.

Sims was arrested on March 23 and charged with third-degree grand larceny and first-degre falsifying business records. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Friday in First District Court in Hempstead.

Detectives ask that anyone who feels they may have been a victim of a similar scheme to call 573-5275.

Photos: Nassau County Police Department, Google Maps.