If the Walls Could Talk Podcast – Episode 7: “Fringe Benefit” 

After losing his civil case to the US Government, Peter Rogan was on the hook for $64 million for his role in the fraud scheme at Edgewater Hospital. Less than 2 weeks later, he fled to the country and then fought extradition for nearly a decade. Episode 7: “Fringe Benefit” details Peter Rogan’s years of living abroad while his numerous legal proceedings continued back in Chicago.

Along with his $64 million civil judgment to the government, Peter Rogan was ordered to pay Dexia Bank $126 million. But he wasn’t voluntarily paying, so government and Dexia lawyers had to collect this money. They ultimately found millions of dollars stashed all across the globe. Collecting this money would take years and cost tens of millions of dollars. Was the juice worth the squeeze? One of Dexia’s lawyers explains.

Also at stake was Peter Rogan’s yacht (named “Fringe Benefit”) and his home in Indiana. Then came the question of who owned a luxury condo in downtown Chicago. Dexia’s lawyers said it was Peter Rogan’s — but his children (who lived there) claimed they didn’t know who their landlord was. 

Even after being arrested in Canada, Peter Rogan hired Canadian counsel to fight his return to the United States. All the while, he lived in a gorgeous Vancouver penthouse. Peter even skipped his son’s wedding in 2007…instead he chose to remain in Canada. But that wedding wasn’t without some drama: Peter’s friend and lawyer, Fred Cuppy, was served a summons by the FBI. The feds ultimately charged Cuppy with perjury. Cuppy struck a plea deal with prosecutors and went to prison.

As neighbors watched the abandoned Edgewater Hospital crumble into what they called a dangerous and “menacing hulk”, they went to their local Alderman and demanded it be torn down. Instead, the Alderman’s wife, Barbara O’Connor, made millions selling homes on the hospital’s former parking lots…and, surprisingly, it was all legal. 

With all this happening, dozens of Urban Explorers broke in and photographed the now abandoned hospital. Inside, they found the hospital looking just like it did when it closed in 2001…filled with furniture, equipment and thousands of medical records. Their chilling photos of a hospital frozen in time soon turned up on the internet and made Edgewater a hotspot for anyone with a camera. Urban Explorers flocked to the hospital for a glimpse of what remained while looters came for whatever they could remove.

Listen to Episode 7: “Fringe Benefit” and hear all the head-shaking details of Peter Rogan’s years evading the authorities and what some of the Urban Explorers encountered inside the abandoned Edgewater Hospital.

If the Walls Could Talk Podcast™

Support us on PATREON and hear this week’s Second Opinion episode. This week, we’ll go into further detail of the events covered in Episode 7: “Fringe Benefit”. We’ll dissect how Peter was able to stay in Canada for nearly a decade and why the feds couldn’t do much about it. Read some of the Canadian court documents here. We’ll also discuss Peter’s appeal of that $64 million verdict and share audio from the case.

Climb aboard and tour Fringe Benefit (Peter’s yacht) and the Rogan’s Chicago condo that became the center of controversy.

Unlock hear hours of additional stories, interviews and behind-the-scenes content by supporting us on Patreon. You’ll also have access to our weekly “Second Opinion” episodes.

The entire series of If the Walls Could Talk Podcast™ is now available. You can also support our independently-produced podcast by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. A 5-star review goes a long way in helping others to find this series.