A Lauderhill police officer has been arrested on accusations that he used a dead man's identity to seize ownership of his home, years after responding to the welfare check where the man's body was discovered. Brian Louis Sguros, 35, now faces felony charges including official misconduct, criminal use of a deceased person's identification, criminal use of personal identification information, an offense against a computer user, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Sguros has served as a Lauderhill police officer since March 8, 2021, according to the Miami Herald. Investigators say he was one of the officers who responded as backup to a welfare check at a home on Northwest 12th Street in Lauderhill in July 2022, a call that ended with officers finding resident Dennis West, 71, dead inside, according to WPEC. West's death was later determined to be from natural causes, the Miami Herald reports.
In the years since that call, investigators allege Sguros used his position and access to law enforcement systems to make it look like West was still alive, all while working to take control of his property. He told the Broward County Medical Examiner's Office that he was West's friend in order to collect information about the man, the Miami Herald reports, and he claimed West had no living family. Authorities said there is no indication Sguros actually knew West, and that his claim about West having no surviving relatives was untrue.
Paying Bills and Pulling Permits in a Dead Man's Name
According to investigators, Sguros paid property taxes and utility bills on the home using West's name, and he used law enforcement database access to gather additional information about him, per the Miami Herald. He also used West's identification to get the city of Lauderhill to issue a permit for home repairs, and the Broward Sheriff's Office says he forged West's signature on that permit, according to WSVN.
The scheme culminated in February 2025, when investigators say Sguros filed paperwork with the Broward County Property Appraiser's Office claiming his possession of the property dated back to August 2022, just weeks after West's death. That filing came from a joint investigation between the Broward Sheriff's Office and the property appraiser's office, the station reports.
Internal Affairs Opens After a May Complaint
The Lauderhill Police Department opened an Internal Affairs investigation after receiving a complaint about the situation in May, and reported information about a possible crime to outside investigators. Lauderhill Police Chief Constance Stanley said the department moved quickly once the complaint came in. “We opened an investigation and brought in outside partners,” Stanley said, per the Miami Herald's report.
The Broward Sheriff's Office arrested Sguros on Tuesday following an investigation that stretched several months, the station notes. He has since been placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of the case. The investigation remains ongoing.
What Florida Law Says About Identity Crimes
Florida law makes it illegal to intentionally or knowingly possess another person's personal identification information without authorization, according to Florida Statutes section 817.5685. That same statute defines personal identification information broadly, covering Social Security numbers, driver license and passport numbers, taxpayer identification numbers, financial account numbers, and medical records. Under the statute, possessing the personal identification information of five or more people without authorization is classified as a third-degree felony.
