The New York Post says police are investigating the link between car dealer loan fraud at Universal Auto World in Lawrence, L.I. and the murder of 27-year-old salesman Collin Thomas outside the showroom. According to a civil forfeiture lawsuit, Universal employees paid "straw purchasers" (co-conspirators with a good credit history) to sign loan documents for more than $1.3m worth of luxury vehicles, which were then transferred to customers who didn't want their names to appear on the loan papers. Police say car salesmen Dexter Bostic and Robert Ellis, who stand accused of firing upon officers, were involved with the scam. Bostic worked as a car salesman at nearby Five Towns Mitsubishi, which once employed the slain salesman. Ellis, who lived with Bostic, also may have once worked at Five Towns.