Florida cop allegedly stole identity of man he found deceased during welfare check, moved into his house

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. (TCN) — A 35-year-old former police officer has been charged after he allegedly took control of a deceased man’s home following a 2022 welfare check.

According to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Brian Louis Sguros was a backup officer during a welfare check on July 11, 2022. Dennis West , 71, was found deceased inside the home. It was later determined that West died of natural causes and Sguros allegedly took steps to secure West’s home as his own.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by NBC News, West’s cause of death was cardiovascular disease.

A joint investigation between the sheriff’s office and the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office Crimes Against Property Unit found that Sguros became involved in West’s affairs after his death, posing as his friend, and falsely stating West did not have any living family members, per the sheriff’s office. 

Sguros allegedly used resources available to law enforcement to gain information about West, and paid taxes and utilities at the home in West’s name, allegedly forging his signature to make it appear as though he was still alive, according to the sheriff’s office. He allegedly took steps to get the city of Lauderhill, Florida, to pay for repairs on the home. Per NBC News, Sguros allegedly spent more than $214,000 of his own money on the home.

According to WSVN, a neighbor alleged Sguros said he was West’s friend and was doing work on the home with plans to rent it out as an Airbnb.

Sguros allegedly filed paperwork in August 2025 with the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office stating that he took possession of West’s home in 2022, just a few weeks after West died, according to the sheriff’s office.

The alleged takeover of the home was discovered when West’s heirs sold the home to a real estate company soon after, per NBC News. Though he allegedly gave them the keys before the company’s attorney could file an unlawful detainer action against him, Sguros later filed a complaint allegedly seeking more than $200,000 for what he had spent on the home’s renovation. 

On Oct. 20, Sguros was arrested on charges of official misconduct, criminal use of deceased personal identification, criminal use of personal identification information, offense against computer user, and unlawful use of two-way communication device, according to the sheriff’s office.

NBC News reports Sguros claimed he took possession of the property because it was hazardous and he did not want people to squat there. He was released on $25,000 bond and was placed on unpaid administrative leave from the Lauderhill Police Department.

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