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Feds: Rooftop Owner Scammed Cubs Out Of Royalties

CHICAGO (AP) -- 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 Friday 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.

The Cubs organization declined comment Friday, CBS 2's Brad Edwards reports.

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