A Florida police officer allegedly seized control of a deceased man’s home, used his identity and spent four years renovating the property before the scheme unraveled. He was ultimately exposed after suing the man’s heirs to recover the cost of the improvements.
Lauderhill Police Officer Brian Louis Sguros was arrested Tuesday on allegations of fraud and falsifying official documents while acting as a public servant. Investigators say his yearslong scheme began after he took over a South Florida home owned by Dennis Ionis West.
Sguros, 35, was one of two officers sent to West’s home for a welfare check on July 11, 2022. A neighbor had called 911 after becoming concerned about the 71-year-old man, who had not been seen for more than a week, according to WPLG.
West was found dead near the home’s front entrance. Officials determined that he had died of natural causes related to cardiovascular disease, the outlet reported.
During the post-mortem examination, Sguros reportedly told officials that he had been friends with West. He also offered to arrange funeral services for the elderly homeowner if no relatives could be located.
“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,” the Broward Sheriff’s Office alleged, according to the South Florida SunSentinel.
Several weeks later, on Aug. 1, Sguros took possession of West’s house despite having no legal authority to do so. He later acknowledged taking control of the property in a sworn court filing.
Sguros claimed he spent more than $214,000 of his own money repairing the deteriorating home. According to WPLG, he said the work was intended to protect the property from criminal activity and squatters.
The renovations included removing rotting boards and cleaning the residence. The improvements reportedly increased the property’s value to approximately $500,000.
However, authorities accuse Sguros of using West’s identity to obtain permits for an $8,000 project involving the replacement of windows and doors.
The permit documents identified West as the living owner and included the deceased man’s driver’s license information and signature.
A construction company hired by Sguros believed West was still alive after reviewing the documents he provided, according to statements given to investigators.
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The allegedly fraudulent paperwork also indicated that West had appeared before a notary and signed the documents in August 2024.
The notary named in the paperwork denied any involvement. She told investigators that the signature was not hers and that the notary stamp shown on the documents was smaller than the one she uses, according to the report.
Investigators also accuse Sguros of exploiting his position as a police officer by searching West’s name multiple times on a department-issued computer. The searches allegedly gave him access to the dead man’s DMV and Social Security records.
The alleged scheme came to light only after Equinox Realty Holding contacted West’s rightful heirs, who were interested in taking control of the property.
Sguros agreed to turn over the keys to the heirs but filed a civil lawsuit in February 2026 seeking repayment for the extensive renovations he said he had funded.
The realty company’s attorney filed a complaint with the Lauderhill Police Department after discovering that Sguros had allegedly misused his law enforcement duties to obtain information about West.
Sguros, who joined the department in March 2021, was suspended with pay in July.
Following his arrest Tuesday, he was placed on unpaid leave.
He faces charges for falsifying official documents as a public servant, fraud – using the identification of a deceased person valued at $5,000, fraud – impersonation over $5,000, computer crime to defraud, obtain property and using two-way communications to commit a felony.
He is being held at the Broward County Jail according to inmate records.
“We hold police officers in the highest regard because they take an oath to protect the public,” Broward County Property Appraiser Marty Kiar told WPLG.
“This case is so troubling because this officer has been charged with using his position to defraud the public. I want to thank our BCPA Crimes Against Property Team and the Broward Sheriff’s Office for their detailed and thorough investigation.”
