Lauderhill Officer Arrested Over Alleged Identity Theft Tied to Dead Man's Home

Brian Louis Sguros, a 35-year-old officer with the Lauderhill Police Department near Miami, was arrested on Oct. 20 in a case involving the home of a man who had died. The Fresno Bee reported the arrest, citing the Broward Sheriff's Office. He appeared in court in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday on charges that include official misconduct and criminal use of a deceased person's identification. He was released on $25,000 bond, a sum that secures release while a case is pending.

The case traces back to July 2022, when Sguros was part of a team sent to check on Dennis West, a Lauderhill resident, after a worried neighbor called. West was found dead in his home of natural causes. According to the Guardian, Sguros allegedly told the Broward County medical examiner's office that he was West's friend and that West had no living family. That statement was untrue, according to the same report.

Prosecutors and investigators have made a series of allegations about what followed. Sguros allegedly paid taxes and utilities on West's home in West's name, and allegedly used West's identification to obtain a repair permit from the city of Lauderhill. A 21-page arrest affidavit, a sworn written statement filed in support of the charges, alleges he forged West's signature on multiple documents. The affidavit also alleges he used law enforcement databases to improperly access West's driver's license record, date of birth, Social Security number and other personal information.

Between August 2022 and February 2025, Sguros spent more than $210,000 upgrading the property, including replacing doors and windows in 2024. In February 2025, he and his spouse filed a claim with the Broward County property appraiser's office seeking to establish ownership of the property.

The alleged arrangement came to light in August 2025. A real estate company that had bought the property from West's heirs sent an employee to take possession and encountered Sguros there. Sguros surrendered the keys but later filed a civil lawsuit against the company, demanding compensation for the money he said he had spent on renovations.

Sguros was placed on administrative leave with pay, meaning he is off active duty while remaining on the payroll. His arrest followed a months-long investigation by Broward Sheriff's Office detectives.