SIMI VALLEY : Man at Center of Inquiry Sues Bank

A Westlake Village man, under investigation in connection with an alleged murder-for-hire plot to kill his estranged wife, has sued a Simi Valley bank, saying it destroyed his marriage by giving his wife information on his private accounts.

Lee R. Mannheimer, who stepped down as chairman and chief executive of PerfectData Corp. pending an investigation into the alleged plot, filed the action in Ventura County Superior Court last week.

Mannheimer contends that First Interstate Bank of California revealed information about his accounts to Linda Mannheimer without his consent.

The lawsuit is the latest in a string of legal developments involving the couple, now involved in a divorce over assets and the custody of their 3-year-old son.

In late July, police moved Linda Mannheimer from her Oak Park residence after an FBI informant in Northern California reported that he had been offered $10,000 to kill the woman.

One suspect has been charged with solicitation to commit murder, and the Ventura County district attorney’s office is investigating Mannheimer and another man in the case, Senior Deputy Dist. Atty. Ronald C. Janes said Friday.

Bank spokesman Rich Wyler declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying bank officials had not seen it. Mannheimer could not be reached for comment.

Linda Mannheimer said she learned of the private accounts shortly after she transferred the family’s shared bank accounts to First Interstate in the spring of 1991. After that, she said, statements from their new accounts and the private accounts appeared in the mail.

“It didn’t ruin his marriage,” Linda Mannheimer said. “It just started the ball rolling.”

In his lawsuit, Mannheimer contends that the bank’s actions led to the breakup of his marriage and may cause him to lose custody of his son. He also says the bank damaged his business relationships and his reputation.