An officer with the Lauderhill Police Department was arrested after he was accused of stealing a dead man’s identity and posing as him for four years to acquire his home.
The Lauderhill Police Department said that Brian Sguros was taken into custody on Tuesday, October 20, on a warrant in which he was charged with five felony offenses, including stealing a deceased man’s identity and acquiring his home with no legal authority, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Sguros, 35, was arrested three months after he was suspended with pay on July 22 when an investigation was launched into the allegations.
Police said that Sguros was one of the several officers who performed a welfare check at the man’s home in July 2022, where he was found dead from natural causes.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office has since identified the deceased man as 71-year-old Dennis West.
“Sguros represented himself to the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office as West’s friend, although there is no indication he knew West, and stated that West had no living family, which was untrue,” the Broward Sheriff’s Office reportedly said.
Sguros has been accused of paying taxes and utilities at the home in order to get a legal permit for repairs, which he accomplished by forging West’s signature on official documents.
The officer claimed that he spent over $214,000 of his own money to refurbish the home so that he could protect it from criminal activity and squatters, according to WPLG. Throughout the renovation process, Sguros tore down rotten boards and cleaned the home. By the end of the renovation, the property value was estimated to be about $500,000.
Authorities said that they became aware of the situation when the homeowner’s legal heirs found out that Sguros allegedly took over the property through probate proceedings.
The Lauderhill Police Department and Broward Sheriff’s Office worked with the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office, Crimes Against Property Unit amid the investigation.
Once the departments found enough evidence in the case, Sguros was charged with official misconduct, criminal use of a deceased person’s personal identification information, unlawful use of computers and a two-way communications device.
Sguros joined the Lauderhill Police Department in March 2021. The police department said he has now been suspended without pay in light of his arrest.
“Every officer in this Department swears an oath to protect the people of Lauderhill, including those who can no longer speak for themselves,” Chief of Police Constance Stanley said in a statement following the incident.
In light of the scandal, police have encouraged property owners to sign up for the Broward County Property Appraiser’s free Owner Alert service so they’re aware when documents are recorded against their property.
It’s not currently clear whether Sguros has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest. The Lauderhill Police Department did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding updates in the case.
