Florida cop accused of spending $214,000 renovating a dead man’s home he allegedly took over for years

A Florida policeman allegedly took over the house of a dead man, used his identity for repairs and spent over $214,000 remodelling the house over several years. It is further alleged that the takeover occurred only a few weeks after the officer assisted in locating the body of the man during a welfare check. Brian Louis Sguros, 35, from the Lauderhill Police Department, was arrested on October 20th and charged with many felonies related to the misappropriation of a dead man's property and identity.

The case was revealed after the heirs of the property owner sold the property, and a real estate company tried to gain possession of it, as reported by NBC 6 South Florida.

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The accusations prompt some doubts regarding the way Sguros managed to get hold of the property, the reason why police databases were used, and how the dispute about the cost of renovation led to the involvement of law enforcement authorities.

A welfare check preceded the alleged home takeover

The incident started on July 11, 2022, when Sguros and another officer were dispatched to conduct a welfare check in the home of a 71-year-old resident of Lauderhill, named Dennis West, who had not been seen for some time.

The body of the man was found deceased in the house. In his arrest affidavit, the cause of death was stated as arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and the death was ruled natural by the medical examiner.

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It is alleged that Sguros later visited the office of the medical examiner posing as West’s friend and claiming that the deceased had no surviving relatives. The authorities state that this statement is false and there are no indications that the two knew each other.

In August 2022, Sguros came into possession of the property, as per documents referred to in the investigation process. Sguros argued that he had taken possession of the property since it was dangerous and needed to be protected from criminals as well as squatters.

NBC News' story on the arrest warrant affidavit showed that Sguros performed cleaning and maintenance on the property from August 2022 until February 2025. The amount of money Sguros reportedly used to pay for this work exceeded $214,000.

Investigators allege he used the dead man’s identity for repairs

The renovation expenses are only one part of the case. Investigators also allege that Sguros accessed law enforcement databases to obtain West’s personal information, including his driver’s license details, date of birth and Social Security number.

The arrest affidavit says searches were conducted from Sguros’ work computer. Authorities allege that he then used West’s identifying information to obtain a city permit for repairs to the home.

The permit application concerned the replacement of exterior doors and windows in 2024. According to investigators, it listed West as the property owner and included a signature purportedly belonging to him, even though he had died in 2022. The phone number on the application, however, was allegedly Sguros’ own.

A project manager involved in the renovation told investigators he did not know West was dead when the work was carried out. He recalled Sguros saying the homeowner was “unavailable,” according to the affidavit.

Authorities also say Sguros paid property taxes and utility bills associated with the home in West’s name.

The paperwork was filed in February 2025 in the office of the Broward County Property Appraiser.

The allegations mentioned above have been stated in the press release by the Broward County Sheriff's Office and in the arrest warrant from NBC. While Sguros is the one who has been alleged to have committed the crime, none of his allegations have been proven yet.

The $214,000 renovation dispute brought the case to light

The alleged arrangement came under scrutiny after a real estate company acquired the property from West’s heirs and attempted to take possession.

According to the affidavit, a company employee encountered Sguros at the home after the company had secured lawful possession through probate proceedings.

Sguros surrendered the keys before the company’s attorney filed an unlawful detainer action, investigators said. But the dispute did not end there: Sguros sought reimbursement for the repairs and improvements he said he had paid for.

In February 2026, he filed a civil complaint against the real estate company, describing how he had discovered West’s body while on duty and later cleaned, secured and invested in the property. The affidavit states that he did not establish that he had obtained the home through a purchase, lease, deed, probate appointment or relationship with West’s heirs.

He was noticed by the authorities due to his attempts to get back his salary exceeding $200,000.

The complaint was lodged against him in the Lauderhill Police Department in May with the help of his lawyer, who used to represent the real estate firm, and now investigations are being carried out by the Broward Sheriff’s Office and property appraiser’s office in the county.

Several charges have been brought against him, and they include: official misconduct; criminal use of the identity of a dead person; crime against computer users; criminal use of personal identifying information; and illegal use of a two-way communication device.

Recently, on Wednesday, he was in court, and the judge ordered that the bail should be set at $25,000.

The case remains a set of criminal allegations, and Sguros is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The central question for investigators is not simply how much money was spent renovating West’s home, but whether the officer used his position and the deceased man’s identity to take control of a property that belonged to someone else.