A South Florida police officer is accused of orchestrating a yearslong scheme to use a dead man's identity and gain control of his home after helping discover the man's body during a 2022 welfare check, authorities said.
Brian Louis Sguros, 35, a Lauderhill Police Department officer, was arrested on Oct. 20, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office. He faces several felony charges, including official misconduct, criminal use of a deceased person's identification, criminal use of personal identification information, offense against a computer user, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Sguros responded as a backup officer on July 11, 2022, to a welfare check at the home of Dennis West, 71, in Lauderhill, Florida, a suburban city
just west of Fort Lauderdale, the sheriff's office said. West was found dead inside the residence, and his death was determined to be from natural causes.
A joint investigation by the sheriff's office and the Broward County Property Appraiser's Office Crimes Against Property Unit found that Sguros became involved in West's affairs after his death. Investigators alleged that Sguros falsely represented himself to the medical examiner's office as West's friend, despite finding no indication that the two knew each other.
Authorities also alleged Sguros used West's identity after his death, paying taxes and utilities in West's name, obtaining permits for repairs and taking steps to make it appear that West was still alive.
"The investigation into the matter remains ongoing," the sheriff's office said in a news release.
Florida police officer used dead man's personal information for home renovations
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by the USA TODAY Network - Florida, Sguros used West's personal information to obtain a building permit and spent years making improvements to the property. He paid more than $2,500 in utilities and taxes on the home, though it remained registered to West's estate, property records showed.
An August 2024 permit application seeking approval to replace windows and doors at the home for $8,000 listed West as the owner, included his driver's license information and contained a signature purportedly belonging to him, despite his death two years earlier. The phone number 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 homeowner was alive, court records indicate.
A notary whose name and information appeared on the paperwork told investigators the signature was not hers and said she did not believe the notary stamp on the documents belonged to her either.
Investigators also alleged that Sguros used law enforcement databases to access information about West. Authorities found seven database searches related to West conducted from Sguros' work-issued computer between July 2022 and January 2023, according to court records.
Concerns from dead man's heirs, real estate company sparked investigation
Body-camera footage from the welfare check showed no indication Sguros knew West, investigators said. But Sguros later told the medical examiner's office he was West's friend and offered to assist with funeral arrangements if relatives could not be located.
The investigation began after West's heirs and a real estate company raised concerns about Sguros' involvement with the property, according to the USA TODAY Network - Florida.
In February 2026, Sguros filed a civil lawsuit seeking an equitable lien against the property based on the renovation expenses he claimed to have incurred. The real estate company later filed a complaint with the Lauderhill Police Department regarding Sguros' connection to the home.
Authorities said Sguros eventually surrendered the keys to the property but sought reimbursement for money he said he invested in it. According to the arrest affidavit, Sguros told investigators he spent at least $214,000 improving the home, increasing its value to about $500,000. He said he undertook the work to prevent squatters and criminal activity.
Following Sguros' arrest, he was placed on leave without pay, the USA TODAY Network - Florida reported.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida officer accused of taking over dead man's identity, home
