Florida police officer accused of taking over dead man's identification

Key Points:

• Brian Louis Sguros, a Lauderhill Police Department officer in Florida, was arrested on Oct. 20 for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to control the home of deceased resident Dennis West, facing multiple charges including official misconduct and criminal use of personal identification.
• Sguros responded to a welfare check in July 2022 where West was found deceased, then allegedly involved himself in West's affairs by falsely claiming to be West's friend and asserting West had no living family, despite the existence of lawful heirs.
• Investigators allege Sguros paid taxes and utilities on West's behalf, used West's identification to obtain city permits, forged West's signature, and used law enforcement databases to access West's information, while spending over $200,000 of his own money to maintain the property.
• The charges stem from a joint investigation by the Broward Sheriff's Office and Broward County Property Appraiser's Office, revealing that Sguros filed paperwork claiming possession of the property shortly after West's death.
• Sguros is currently on administrative leave without pay, was released on bond after a court appearance, and has been ordered to stay away from West's home; attempts to obtain comments from Sguros and the Lauderhill Police Department remain pending.