Lauderhill Police Officer Moves Into Dead Man’s Home After Welfare Check
A 35-year-old police officer in Lauderhill, Florida, stands accused of taking over the home of a dead man he discovered during a routine welfare check, according to The Telegraaf. Brian Sguros responded to the residence of 71-year-old Dennis West in July 2022 after neighbors expressed concern that they had not seen him, the local outlets report. Upon entering, officers found West dead inside the property. Investigators state that Sguros then initiated a complex scheme to seize the real estate, falsely telling the responding medical examiner that he was a personal friend of the deceased and that West left behind no surviving relatives.
Sguros Used Identity Theft to Remodel West's Home
Following the discovery, Sguros utilized police databases to access West’s personal identification numbers, date of birth, and other confidential records. By August 2022, the officer moved directly into the dead man’s residence. To maintain the deception, Sguros continued paying utility bills and property taxes using the deceased owner’s name. Local reporting details that he even forged West’s signature to secure remodeling permits. When a contractor arrived at the property to replace exterior doors and windows, Sguros told the worker that the homeowner was simply unavailable. The officer later claimed in legal filings that he invested $214,000 of his own money into home improvements to prevent squatters from taking over the vacant structure.
Property Sale Exposes the Fraud
The scheme unraveled in 2025 when Sguros attempted to formally transfer the deed into his own name through local land registry offices. Around the same time, a real estate firm successfully located West’s actual heirs, who subsequently agreed to sell the property. When representatives of the real estate company arrived at the house, they discovered Sguros living inside. Confronted with the rightful owners, the officer surrendered the keys. However, he subsequently filed a civil lawsuit demanding that the family reimburse him $214,000 for the renovation work he performed. The unusual court filings triggered a formal criminal investigation into the officer’s activities.
Arrest and Suspended Status
Law enforcement arrested Sguros on multiple felony charges, including official misconduct, criminal use of a deceased person’s identity, unlawful use of personal data, computer abuse, and unlawful use of a communication device. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office led the criminal probe. The Miami Herald reports that the city placed Sguros on unpaid administrative leave following his arrest. A local judge set his bail at $25,000, which he posted before leaving the jail facility.
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