A Florida police officer faces multiple fraud charges after investigators accused him of taking control of a deceased man’s home, using the homeowner’s personal information to obtain building permits and falsely presenting himself as the man’s friend.
Authorities arrested Brian Louis Sguros, 35, a Lauderhill Police Department officer, on Tuesday, Oct. 20, and charged him with offenses including official misconduct, criminal use of a deceased person’s identification, criminal use of personal identification information, and computer-related crimes, WPLG reported. They booked him into the Broward County Jail following his arrest.
The investigation centers on a home owned by Dennis Ionis West, a 71-year-old man who died in July 2022.
Authorities allege Sguros took possession of the property weeks after responding to a welfare check at West’s residence, despite having no legal authority to claim the home.
According to an arrest affidavit cited by NBC 6 South Florida, the investigation began after police received a complaint on May 27. Investigators later examined conduct they say began with the July 2022 welfare check and continued through the use of West’s identity in property-related paperwork.
Sguros and another officer responded to the home on July 11, 2022, after a neighbor called 911 because they had not seen West for more than a week, the New York Post reported.
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Officers found West dead near the front entrance. Authorities determined that he died of natural causes related to cardiovascular disease.
During the medical examiner’s investigation, Sguros allegedly claimed he knew West and offered to help arrange funeral services if officials could not locate relatives. The Broward Sheriff’s Office later alleged that Sguros misrepresented his relationship with the deceased man and falsely said West had no living family.
“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 Sun Sentinel.
Weeks after West’s death, Sguros allegedly took possession of the home without legal authorization. He later acknowledged taking control of the property in a sworn court document, according to reports.
Investigators accuse Sguros of using West’s personal information to handle property improvements and obtain permits. According to the arrest affidavit, he accessed West’s driver’s license and signature and submitted documents that listed the deceased man as the living homeowner.
The paperwork involved an $8,000 project to replace windows and doors, authorities said. Investigators allege the documents included a notary’s name and seal and falsely indicated that West had appeared before the notary to sign them in August 2024.
The notary denied involvement, telling investigators the signature was not hers and that the stamp on the paperwork was smaller than the one she used, according to the affidavit. A construction company hired to perform work on the property also believed West was alive based on the documents it received.
Sguros reportedly said he spent about $214,000 renovating the property and increasing its value to roughly $500,000. He also paid property taxes and more than $2,500 in utility bills under West’s name for nearly two years after the man died.
The alleged scheme came to light after Equinox Realty Holding became involved with the property and identified West’s rightful heirs, who wanted to take ownership of the home.
Investigators said Sguros agreed to turn over the keys but sought reimbursement for the money he claimed to have spent on renovations. After West’s relatives declined to pay him, Sguros filed a civil lawsuit in February 2026.
The case has prompted criticism from Broward County Property Appraiser Marty Kiar, who said the allegations were particularly troubling because they involve an officer entrusted with protecting the public.
“We hold police officers in the highest regard because they take an oath to protect the public,” Kiar told WPLG. “This case is so troubling because this officer has been charged with using his position to defraud the public.”
Kiar also thanked the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Crimes Against Property Team and the Broward Sheriff’s Office for their work investigating the case.
Lauderhill police placed Sguros on administrative leave without pay after his arrest. The department previously relieved him of duty and placed him on paid administrative leave on July 22, before his arrest.
