AFlorida police officeris accused of taking over the home and identity of a dead man whose body he helped discover during a welfare check.
Brian Louis Sguros, 35, a Lauderhill police officer, responded to the welfare check of a 71-year-old man who died from natural causes in July 2022, according to an arrest affidavit. Sguros used the dead man’s personal information to obtain a building permit and spent years making improvements to the home.
Sguros told investigators he invested at least $214,000 of his own money into the property and increased its value to approximately $500,000, according to the 21-page arrest affidavit. He claimed he did this to prevent squatters and criminal activity.
Sguros was arrested Oct. 20. He was placed on leave without
pay and is facing charges including criminal use of a deceased person’s identification, official misconduct and offense against a computer user.
What led to Florida police officer’s arrest?
Sguros paid more than $2,500 toward utilities and taxes on the home, although it remained registered to the dead man’s estate, according to property records.
An August 2024 building permit application to replace windows and doors for $8,000 listed the dead man as the property owner, included his driver’s license information and a signature allegedly belonging to him, although he died two years earlier. The phone number listed on the application belonged to Sguros.
An employee with the company hired to do the work told investigators Sguros provided the appropriate documents, including a copy of the deceased man’s driver’s license. Company officials believed the home owner was alive, court records indicate.
A notary whose name and information appeared on the paperwork told detectives the signature was not hers and she did not believe the notary stamp was hers.
Sguros also is accused of illegally using the law enforcement databases to obtain information about the home owner. He used his work-issued computer to conduct seven searches related to the dead man between July 2022 and January 2023.
Did Florida officer know the deceased man whose identity he’s accused of stealing?
Body camera footage from the welfare check showed no indication Sguros knew the deceased man.
However, Sguros identified himself as the deceased man’s friend when communicating with the medical examiner’s office. He also offered to handle the man’s funeral arrangements if relatives could not be located.
What led detectives to investigate Florida police officer for identity theft?
The deceased man’s heirs and a realty company discovered Sguros’ involvement, leading to the investigation.
Sguros eventually surrendered keys to the home but sought reimbursement for the improvements he claimed to have made. He filed a civil lawsuit in Feb. 2026 seeking an equitable lien against the property, citing the money he said he spent on renovations.
The realty company filed a complaint with the Lauderhill Police Department with concerns about Sguros’ involvement in the home.
Where is Lauderhill, Florida located?
Lauderhill is located in Broward County.
It is about 10 miles from Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport.
Michelle Spitzer is a journalist for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. As the network’s Rapid Response reporter, she covers Florida’s breaking news. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida cop accused of squatting in dead man's home using his ID
