Florida officer took possession of man's home after finding him dead 4
years ago, police say
[October 23, 2026]
By JOHN SEEWER
A Florida police officer who found a man dead during a welfare check in
2022 is accused of taking possession of the man’s home and impersonating
him for years while fixing up the place, authorities said.
The officer said he took possession of the property weeks after
discovering the homeowner's body to “prevent squatters from taking
control of it,” according to a court document he filed.
Investigators in South Florida have accused Lauderhill police officer
Brian Sguros of carrying out a “complex scheme” to take control of the
$400,000 home. They say he made it appear the man was still alive by
using his identification to pay taxes on the property and obtain permits
to make repairs.
Sguros was arrested this week and charged with five felonies, including
official misconduct and criminal use of deceased personal
identification. He appeared in court at a brief hearing on Wednesday and
then dashed away from reporters outside.
Messages seeking comment were left Thursday with one of his attorneys
and Sguros, who has been suspended from his job.
Court documents in a related civil case show that the officer's attempt
to take possession of the two-story house in a tidy neighborhood just
outside Fort Lauderdale became known after a real estate group bought
the house from the man's relatives in 2025.
Sguros said in an affidavit that in August 2022 — less than a month
after he found Dennis West dead inside the Lauderhill home — he took
possession of the property and spent the next 2 1/2 years making
repairs, spending more than $200,000 of his own money.
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This undated image from video shows a home in Lauderhill, Fla.,
which a police officer is accused of illegally trying to take
possession of after finding its' owner dead during a welfare check.
(WSVN-TV via AP)
He said the house had been filled with trash, that its roof was
partially collapsed and that the structure was unstable.
Sguros said in another court document that he took over the property
“believing that by cleaning, securing, and restoring a dangerous and
abandoned residence he was acting lawfully and responsibly to
protect the surrounding community.”
He argued that he made no attempts to hide what he was doing.
But investigators with Broward County Sheriff's Office said the
deception began when the officer told the county medical examiner
that he was friends with West, who had died of natural causes, and
that the man had no family, which was not true.
Sguros paid taxes and utilities at the home in West’s name, and
forged his signature to get permits for work at the home, the
sheriff's office said. Investigators said Sguros also used his
access to law enforcement databases to find information about West.
The officer in February 2025 filed paperwork with the county
appraiser stating his possession of the home. But after the real
estate group later acquired deeds to the property, he filed a civil
case against the company seeking to be reimbursed for the money he
spent on repairs.
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