A police officer in Florida, United States, has been arrested for allegedly taking over a deceased man’s home, impersonating him and using his identity to carry out property renovations over a four-year period.
Brian Louis Sguros, 35, an officer with the Lauderhill Police Department, was arrested on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, over allegations of fraud and falsifying official documents as a public servant.
According to reports, Sguros was among two officers who responded to a welfare check at the home of 71-year-old Dennis Ionis West on July 11, 2022, after a neighbour raised concerns about not seeing him for more than a week. West was found dead near the entrance of his home, with authorities determining that he died from cardiovascular disease.
During the investigation, Sguros allegedly presented himself to the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office as West’s friend and claimed the deceased had no surviving relatives, an assertion investigators said was untrue.
Weeks later, he allegedly took possession of the property without legal authority. Sguros reportedly claimed that he spent more than $214,000 of his own money renovating the house to protect it from squatters and criminal activity. The improvements were said to have increased the property’s value to approximately $500,000.
Investigators further alleged that Sguros used West’s identity to obtain permits for renovation work, submitting documents that listed the deceased man as the living property owner. The paperwork reportedly included West’s driver’s licence details and signature, as well as documents purportedly notarised in August 2024.
The notary whose details appeared on the documents reportedly denied signing them or authorising the use of her stamp.
Sguros was allegedly exposed when a real estate company, Equinox Realty Holding, arrived at the property with West’s rightful heirs to take possession of the house. Although he agreed to hand over the keys, he subsequently filed a civil lawsuit in February 2026 seeking reimbursement for the money he claimed to have spent on renovations.
The ensuing complaint prompted an investigation into whether he had misused his position as a police officer to access the deceased man’s personal records through department-issued computer systems.
Sguros faces multiple charges, including falsifying official documents as a public servant, fraudulent use of a deceased person’s identification, impersonation, computer fraud and using electronic communications to commit a felony.
He has been placed on unpaid leave following his arrest and is being held at the Broward County Jail, according to inmate records.
Broward County Property Appraiser Marty Kiar condemned the allegations, describing the case as troubling because of the accusation that an officer entrusted with protecting the public had used his position to commit fraud.
The allegations remain subject to judicial proceedings.
