Florida officer accused of stealing dead man's identity and moving into his home

A Florida police officer has been accused of stealing the identity of a man he found dead during a welfare check call and then moving into his home, authorities say.

Brian Louis Sguros, 35, a police officer in Lauderhill, Florida, was arrested this week by the Broward County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators allege he impersonated the deceased man, Dennis West, moved into the house he found West dead in, and then renovated the two-story south Florida home. Police say he lived there for years undetected.

Sguros has not commented on the charges. It's unclear whether he has legal representation yet. He has been placed on administrative leave from the Lauderhill Police Department.

In 2022, police were called to check on a 71-year-old resident of Lauderhill, Florida, Dennis West.

Officer Brian Louis Sguros was called in as back-up for the welfare check. When he found West dead of natural causes, he allegedly "created a complex scheme to take control of the individual's home," the Broward County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

Investigators say Sguros told the medical examiner's office he was West's friend, though authorities found no indication the two knew each other, according to the news release. Court documents detail that the officer appeared in body cam footage during the welfare check and did not appear to have a prior relationship with the man.

He also allegedly told the county medical examiner that West had no living relatives, which authorities say say was also untrue, the release states.

Sguros then had West's body cremated, according to the BBC's news partner CBS.

According to a joint investigation by the sheriff's office and the Broward County Property Appraiser's Office, Sguros took possession of the home in August 2022 and moved in.

Authorities say in 2025, he allegedly filed paperwork with the property appraiser's office stating that his possession dated to August 2022.

Sguros said he took possession of the home because it was hazardous, and he wanted to prevent people from squatting, according to court documents.

He paid utility accounts which were in the deceased man's name. He also applied for a permit to replace exterior doors and windows, at the cost of $8,000 (£5970), according to court documents.

Sguros claimed he has increased the property's value, spending more than $214,000 (£159,717) on the home, according to the sheriff's office.

Sguros faces charges of 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.

He was released from jail on a $25,000 bond.

Local law enforcement were made aware of the situation when West's heirs tried to sell the property, according a police affidavit.

Once Sguros eventually returned the keys to the property's rightful owners, he allegedly demanded reimbursement for improvements he had made to the property, court documents state.

The Lauderhill Police Department told BBC News that Sguros has been relieved of his duty and was placed on administrative leave with pay.