Wrigley Rooftop Owner Charged with Trying to Defraud Cubs

The Skybox on Sheffield rooftop at 3627 North Sheffield Avenue in Chicago which is across the street from the right field bleachers at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Monday, March 23, 2015.
The Skybox on Sheffield rooftop at 3627 North Sheffield Avenue in Chicago which is across the street from the right field bleachers at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Monday, March 23, 2015. Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune

A 46-year-old owner of one of the rooftop clubs locked in dispute with the Chicago Cubs over Wrigley Field views is accused of defrauding the baseball team and tax authorities out of $600,000.

Chicago’s U.S. attorney’s office announced that R. Marc Hamid faces four counts of mail fraud. Each carries a maximum 20-year prison term.

Rooftop clubs across from Wrigley Field offer views of games without being inside the stadium. Recent Cubs’ renovations include large signs that rooftop owners say will obstruct their views and kill their business.

A 2004 revenue-sharing deal includes royalty payments to the Cubs for views of games. But the indictment accuses Hamid’s Skybox on Sheffield club of submitting false royalty statements to the Cubs.

A phone message left at Hamid’s office Friday wasn’t returned.

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