A Lauderhill police officer has been arrested on felony charges after the Broward Sheriff’s Office said he tried to take control of a dead man’s home. Brian Louis Sguros, 35, was taken into custody on Oct. 20, 2026, according to investigators.
Sguros responded as backup for a welfare check at a home in the area on July 11, 2022. Officials said 71-year-old Dennis West was found dead inside. He died of natural causes.
Investigators said Sguros then posed as West’s friend when dealing with the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office, telling staff that West had no living family. The department said the two did not know each other and that West has living relatives.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Sguros paid the taxes and utilities on the home in West’s name. He also used West’s identification to get the city of Lauderhill to issue a repair permit, and he forged West’s signature on it. In February 2025, he filed paperwork with the Broward County Property Appraiser claiming he had possessed the property since August 2022, weeks after West’s death.
Sguros faces several charges, including official misconduct, criminal use of deceased personal identification, criminal use of personal identification information, offense against a computer user and unlawful use of a two-way communication device. The investigation is ongoing.
