A Florida police officer allegedly took control of a deceased man’s home, used his identity and spent years renovating the property before the scheme unraveled when he sued the man’s heirs for repayment.
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 the yearslong scheme began after he assumed control of a South Florida house belonging to 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 not seeing the 71-year-old man for more than a week, WPLG reported.
Officers found West dead just inside the home’s front entrance. Authorities determined that he had died of natural causes related to cardiovascular disease, according to the outlet.
During the post-mortem process, Sguros allegedly told officials that he had been friends with West. He also offered to arrange funeral services 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 home without legal authorization. He later acknowledged doing so in a sworn court filing.
According to WPLG, Sguros said he spent more than $214,000 of his own money repairing the deteriorating property. He claimed the work was intended to protect the house from criminal activity and squatters.
The renovations included removing decayed boards and cleaning the residence. The improvements reportedly increased the property’s value to roughly $500,000.
But investigators accuse Sguros of using West’s identity to obtain permits for an $8,000 project involving the replacement of windows and doors.
The permit applications identified West as the living owner and included what appeared to be his driver’s license and signature.
A construction company hired by Sguros said the documents led employees to believe West was still alive, investigators told the outlet.
The allegedly falsified records also indicated that West had appeared before a notary and signed the documents in August 2024.
However, the notary named in the paperwork denied any involvement. She told investigators that the signature was not hers and that the notary stamp differed in size from the one she uses, according to the report.
Sguros is also accused of using a department-issued computer to search West’s name multiple times and access the deceased man’s Department of Motor Vehicles and Social Security records.
The alleged conduct came to light after Equinox Realty Holding contacted West’s rightful heirs, who were seeking to assume control of the property.
Sguros agreed to turn over the keys but filed a civil lawsuit in February 2026 seeking compensation for the extensive renovations he said he had financed.
The realty company’s attorney then contacted the Lauderhill Police Department after discovering that Sguros had allegedly used his police powers to obtain information about West.
Sguros, who joined the department in March 2021, was suspended with pay in July.
Following his Tuesday arrest, 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.”