Rooftop owner near Wrigley Field indicted on federal fraud charges
The owner of a rooftop overlooking Wrigley Field has been indicted on federal fraud charges for not paying around $600,000 to the Chicago Cubs and the government in taxes, Crain’s Chicago Business reports.
R. Marc Hamid owns Skybox on Sheffield and has an agreement to pay the Cubs 17% of the company’s gross revenue because it has a direct view into Wrigley from right field. He is accused of underreporting the gross revenue by more than $1.5 million from 2008 through 2011.
Hamid is charged with withholding money from the Cubs, the state of Illinois, Cook County and the city of Chicago.
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Hamid is one of several rooftop owners that are suing to stop the Cubs from installing a video board in right field that would obstruct the view from nearby buildings. The Cubs have agreements with the businesses, but claim there is nothing in the agreement to stop the construction.
Earlier this week, Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said the $375 million renovation to the stadium will take an extra year to finish. Construction was delayed several times by cold weather, and the outfield bleachers will not be ready for the team’s season opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 5.
The entire indictment against Hamid can be viewed here.
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