Florida police officer accused of taking over dead man's home
A Florida police officer has been charged after allegedly orchestrating a "complex scheme" to control a deceased person's home, according to an incident description from the Broward County Sheriff's Department and an arrest affidavit.
Brian Louis Sguros, an officer with the Lauderhill Police Department in South Florida, was arrested on Oct. 20 on charges including "official misconduct, criminal use of deceased personal identification, criminal use of personal identification information, offense against computer user and unlawful use of two-way communication device," according to the sheriff's department.
According to the incident description, Sguros responded as a backup officer to a Lauderhill address for a welfare check on resident Dennis West on July 11, 2022. West was "deceased inside the home.'
According to the report, "detectives say Sguros became involved in West's post-death affairs."
In one instance, "Sguros represented himself to the Broward County Medical Examiner's Office as West's friend, although there is no indication he knew West, and stated that West had no living family, which was untrue," according to the sheriff's office.
The affidavit identifies several surviving family members and lawful heirs of West.
The sheriff's office alleges Sguros "paid the taxes and utilities at the home in West's name and used West's identification to make it appear that West was still alive" in order to get the city to issue a permit for repairs.
According to the affidavit, which cites Sguros' prior sworn statements, he "cleaned, secured, repaired, stabilized, and rehabilitated the property," spending over $200,000 of his own money.
He claimed, "he acted because the property was hazardous and he wanted to prevent squatters and criminal activity," according to the affidavit.
A detective with the sheriff's office "indicated that Sguros also forged West's signature on the permit," according to the report.
According to the sheriff's department, investigators alleged Sguros "used his access to law enforcement databases to obtain information about West."
The incident report says the charges against Sguros follow a joint investigation by the Broward Sheriff's Office and Broward County Property Appraiser's Office Crimes Against Property Unit.
"According to investigators, Sguros filed paperwork with BCPA in Feb. 2025 stating his possession of the property dated back to Aug. 2022, just weeks after West's death," the incident report said.
ABC News has reached out to the Lauderhill Police Department for additional information and an update on Sguros' employment status.
According to WSVN, Sguros is on administrative leave without pay from the Lauderhill Police Department, pending the case's result.
Sguros appeared in court Wednesday, Oct. 21, and was released later that day after posting bond. A judge ordered him to stay away from West's home.
ABC News has attempted to reach out to Sguros for comment.
