What is known about Brian Louis Sguros? Lauderhill police officer allegedly stole identity of dead man he found, renovated and took over his house

Brian Louis Sguros, a police officer from the Lauderhill Police Department in Florida was arrested on Tuesday, October 20. Sguros is accused of stealing the identity of and impersonating a man he found dead during a welfare check in July 2022. He allegedly also renovated the dead man’s house and moved into it, living there for years.

The officer was one of two cops who responded to a welfare check at the residence of Dennis Ionis West on July 11, 2022. One of West’s neighbours has called 911 after not having seen him for over one week. Upon entering the house, the officers discovered West’s dead body. The homeowner had reportedly died of a cardiovascular disease, according to Local 10.

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How did the cop take over the residence?

The Broward County Sheriff’s Office has accused Sguros of getting involved in West’s post death affairs. According to the Sheriff’s office, the officer allegedly told the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office that he was West’s friend. There is no evidence that Sguros even knew West before he died. Sguros led the authorities to believe that the 71-year-old West had no living relatives, which was false. The officer also offered to handle West’s funeral arangments.

The sheriff’s office has also accused Sguros of improperly accessing information about West using the police database. The officer continued to pay taxes and utilities for West’s home and used his identification to make it seem that the dead man was still alive. He did this so that the city of Lauderhill would issue a permit for renovations at the residence. According to the police department’s press release Sguros forged West’s signature, obtained from the database, on a permit.

According to the arrest affidavit, Sguros used West’s driver’s licence and allegedly also used West’s job to access his DMV and social security data. The officer is further accused of falsifying a notary’s signature and stamp on certain documents.

The officer had filed paperwork for the house with the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office in February 2025. In these documents, Sguros claimed that he had taken possession of the property in August 2022, just weeks after West’s death.

Sguros claimed to have spent $214,000 on renovations and repairs for the residence, which he said had improved the property’s values to about half a million dollars. According to the police department, he paid over $2,500 in utility bills in West’s name for over two years after his death.

How was the cop’s crime exposed?

According to the police department, Sguros’ crime was exposed when the property got involved with the real estate firm, Equinox Realty Holding. The company reportedly discovered West’s legal heirs, who were interested in taking over the property.

Sguros claimed that he had spent more than two years cleaning, securing and renovating the house, Local 10 reported. He also claimed that his actions were intended to protect the residence against squatters and criminals.

The police officer agreed to surrender keys to the residence but he went on to demand a reimbursement for the renovation work he had undertaken. The officer filed a civil suit against West’s rightful heirs in February 2026, after they refused to pay him. The real estate firm filed a complaint against the officer.

What is known about the Lauderhill cop?

Brian Louis Sguros, is a 35 year old police officer with the Lauderhill Police Department. The officer was arrested and placed on unpaid leave. He is currently being held at the Broward County Jail on a $25,000 bond, according to NCB South Florida.

The officer is facing several felony charges. These include official misconduct, criminal use of a deceased person’s identification, criminal use of personal identification information, offense against a computer user and unlawful use of a two-way communication device, NBC reported.