Florida officer accused of taking over dead man’s home and using his identity
publishers 21articles 24first reported 21 Oct, 20:02 UTCdeveloping since 22 Oct · 8 editions
A Lauderhill, Florida, police officer who discovered a 71-year-old man dead during a 2022 welfare check has been accused of unlawfully taking control of the man’s home and using his identity for years, authorities said.
Brian Louis Sguros, 35, was arrested this week on five felony charges, including official misconduct, criminal use of a deceased person’s identification and criminal use of personal identification information. He has been suspended from the police department.
The Broward County Sheriff’s Office said Sguros found Dennis West dead from natural causes at his home on July 11, 2022. Investigators allege Sguros later falsely identified himself as West’s friend, said West had no living relatives and used police databases to obtain West’s personal information.
Sguros said in court filings that he took possession of the property in August 2022 to secure and restore a hazardous, abandoned residence and prevent squatters from taking control. He said he spent more than $200,000 repairing the home over roughly 2½ years.
Authorities allege Sguros paid property taxes and utilities in West’s name and forged West’s signature to obtain a repair permit, creating the appearance that West remained alive. In February 2025, Sguros and his spouse filed paperwork asserting a claim to the property. The dispute emerged after a real estate group bought the home from West’s relatives that year.
Sguros appeared in court Wednesday. Messages seeking comment from him and one of his attorneys were not immediately returned, ABC News reported.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 2 with the publisher's own text; 7 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one (6 if wire copies count as one too); this version written 42 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 21
- Source articles
- 24
- Given to the writer
- 8, 2 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 7 (6 if wire copies count as one)
- This version written
- 42 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
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WHAT THE EDITOR DID
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