Lauderhill police officer Brian Louis Sguros is accused of taking over the home and identity of Dennis West, a 71-year-old man whose body he found during a welfare check in July 2022. Investigators say Sguros told the medical examiner he was West’s friend and that West had no living relatives, although authorities say both claims were false. Within weeks, he allegedly moved into the property and, from 2022 to 2025, cleaned and renovated it, paying taxes and utilities under West’s name. Sguros later said he spent at least $214,000 to secure and repair the home and prevent crime or squatting.
According to the investigation, Sguros used police databases to access West’s personal information, then allegedly used his identity and forged his signature to obtain a city repair permit. A contractor who worked on the home said Sguros represented West as unavailable and did not reveal he had died. The alleged takeover emerged after West’s heirs transferred the property to a real estate company through probate. Sguros surrendered the keys but sought more than $200,000 in reimbursement for improvements, without documentation showing he had bought or otherwise legally acquired the property. He was arrested on charges including official misconduct and unlawful use of personal identification information, held on $25,000 bond, and placed on unpaid administrative leave.
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