New Twist in Investigation of Arson Fire : Thousand Oaks: Police are studying the incident as a possible hate crime. But they are told the comics store had money troubles.

While continuing to investigate a fire that destroyed a Jewish businessman’s store as a possible hate crime, officials in Thousand Oaks said Wednesday that they also are considering the possibility that it was set for other reasons.

Sgt. Kitty Hoberg of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department said police have not ruled out the possibility of some other motive for the blaze that gutted the store, which sold comic books, baseball cards and other collectibles.

The store, Heroes and Legends on Thousand Oaks Boulevard, was destroyed by the Sept. 18 fire. Nearby walls were spray-painted with swastikas and anti-Semitic graffiti. The fire created an outpouring of public sympathy and support for owner Myron Cohen-Ross and renewed residents’ concerns over hate crimes.

“We’re looking into all aspects of the crime, whether for economic reasons or for hate crime reasons or whatever. We don’t know exactly who did what at this point and we’re still investigating it,” Hoberg said. “We have got nothing ruled out as of yet.”

The Conejo Valley has rallied to the aid of Cohen-Ross and his family. A benefit rally last weekend brought in nearly $3,000, Cohen-Ross said. Friends have portrayed Cohen-Ross as a kind-hearted businessman who employed local teen-agers and donated comics to community groups.

Hoberg said police have had extensive conversations with a former employee of Cohen-Ross’, Jeff Leaverton, who said Cohen-Ross had several business problems in the months leading up to the fire.

Cohen-Ross acknowledged that his business had received several setbacks this year, but said those problems were unrelated to the fire. He said he is exasperated by Leaverton’s allegations and said he has always gotten along well with his former employee.

According to Cohen-Ross, Leaverton and court documents, Cohen-Ross’ business problems included a lawsuit filed by a baseball card manufacturer accusing Cohen-Ross, Leaverton and others of counterfeiting a valuable baseball card.

Cohen-Ross said he recently settled with the company, Leaf Inc. of Bannockburn, Ill. He said he will pay Leaf $7,500 in monthly installments of $500 in connection with the counterfeiting of 25,000 copies of a card of Chicago White Sox first baseman Frank Thomas.

While Cohen-Ross admitted that he had knowledge that the cards were counterfeited, he said he had no intention of ever selling them as original cards. Instead, he said, he intended to sell them as reprints.

A small claims court judgment also was handed down last month in which Cohen-Ross was ordered to repay a $5,000 loan from customer Marc Spiegel, Cohen-Ross confirmed.

The money went to pay for the printing of the counterfeit cards. Spiegel, Leaverton and Cohen-Ross said Spiegel had no knowledge of the counterfeiting scheme and thought his loan was to purchase legitimate cards.

Cohen-Ross said he has reached a settlement with Spiegel over the repayment of the money. Spiegel defended Cohen-Ross despite the small claims action.

“If I’m owed money, I’m going to do what I have to do to collect it,” Spiegel said.

In addition to his other financial problems, Cohen-Ross said he also was unsuccessful in an effort to sell his Thousand Oaks business before it was destroyed in the fire.

Cohen-Ross, who owns a second Heroes and Legends store in Agoura Hills, said he had the Thousand Oaks store up for sale for six months but never received an offer. Shortly before the fire, he said he had decided to abandon plans to sell it and to use it instead as a discount outlet for poor-selling merchandise from the Agoura Hills store at reduced prices.

The bitterest disagreements are between Cohen-Ross and Leaverton, who worked for Cohen-Ross for a year and now sells baseball cards to several stores. He continued to do business with Cohen-Ross as recently as last week.

Cohen-Ross said he can’t understand why Leaverton is so upset with him and spreading allegations about him in connection with the counterfeit baseball cards. He said Leaverton was a good employee who had been entrusted with keys to both stores.

“I don’t understand what this man’s trying to do or why he’s doing this,” Cohen-Ross said.

Cohen-Ross said he had nothing to do with the fire. He said he is underinsured--with $50,000 of insurance to cover an estimated $250,000 in losses.

“I may be stupid but I’m not nuts. Obviously if I was going to do something like this I would not draw attention to myself,” Cohen-Ross said.

Times staff writer Ron Soble contributed to this story.