The Eyrie

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — A Lauderhill police officer is facing felony charges after investigators say he discovered a man dead in his Florida home, then later took control of the property, renovated it and used the man’s identity for years. Broward County authorities allege Brian Louis Sguros, 35, turned a welfare check into a long-running effort to occupy Dennis West’s home and mask what he was doing.

West was found dead in July 2022 during the welfare check, and the medical examiner later ruled that he died of natural causes tied to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Authorities say Sguros’ conduct did not end with the initial response. Instead, investigators say he kept working around the property through early 2025, while using records and filings that made it appear he had a legitimate tie to the home.

How the welfare check became a criminal case

According to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Sguros responded to West’s home on July 11, 2022, after the welfare check was requested. West was 71 when he was found dead inside. Weeks later, investigators say, Sguros unlawfully took possession of the house.

The sheriff’s office says he went further by presenting himself to the medical examiner’s office as West’s friend, even though investigators said there was no evidence the two knew each other. He also reportedly told officials that West had no living family, a statement authorities say was false. Those early interactions, investigators say, helped set up later efforts to control the property and obscure who had a lawful claim to it.

By the time investigators pieced together the timeline, they say Sguros had already begun acting as though he had inherited or acquired a stake in the home. The case now centers on whether he used his position and access to information to make that takeover possible.

Investigators say he searched police databases for private details

The arrest affidavit says the investigation found multiple searches from Sguros’ work computer in law enforcement databases for West’s driver’s license record. Those searches allegedly revealed West’s address, date of birth, Social Security number and other personal details. Authorities say that information was then used to support the false appearance that Sguros had authority connected to the property.

He is accused of using West’s identity to help get the city of Lauderhill to issue a permit needed for repairs. Investigators say the permit application included a forged signature for West, while the phone number listed on the paperwork belonged to Sguros.

The sheriff’s office said these actions formed part of several felony counts, including official misconduct, criminal use of a deceased person’s identification and criminal use of personal identification information. He was also charged with offense against a computer user and unlawful use of a two-way communications device.

Repairs, taxes and claims to the house stretched into 2025

Authorities say Sguros claimed he spent at least $214,000 of his own money cleaning and repairing the property. The arrest affidavit says he handled those tasks from August 2022 through February 2025, and that he also paid taxes and utilities in West’s name.

Sguros has said in sworn civil filings that he took possession of the home because he believed it was hazardous and wanted to prevent squatting and crime. Investigators, however, say those explanations do not match the paperwork trail. The affidavit says he never established a lawful basis for his involvement through a purchase, lease, probate appointment, deed or a relationship with West’s heirs.

A project manager for a company hired in 2024 to replace exterior doors and windows told police he did not know West was dead at the time and remembered Sguros saying West was unavailable. That account added to the suspicion that the property was being managed under false pretenses.

The dispute surfaced after the home changed hands through probate

The case came into focus after a real estate company bought the property from West’s heirs months later, according to the affidavit. The company secured lawful possession through probate proceedings in the fall of 2025, but when an employee tried to take over the home, the worker encountered Sguros still there.

Investigators say Sguros surrendered the keys before the company’s attorney filed an unlawful detainer action, but he also demanded reimbursement for the repairs and improvements he said he had made. In February, he filed a complaint against the company, again describing himself as the person who discovered West and then secured the property.

That civil filing became important to investigators because, according to the affidavit, Sguros still never documented a legitimate transaction or legal relationship connecting him to the home. The sheriff’s office says the paperwork instead showed a pattern of claims designed to support possession and financial reimbursement.

Arrest, court appearance and department response

Sguros was arrested Tuesday on the felony charges and was ordered held Wednesday on a $25,000 bond, NBC South Florida reported. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney.

After his arrest, Lauderhill police placed him on administrative leave without pay. The charges could bring further scrutiny to how a sworn officer handled private information and a dead resident’s property after a welfare check that began as a routine call.

In May, an attorney for the real estate company submitted a complaint to the Lauderhill Police Department, helping prompt the investigation. For now, the case leaves open how long investigators believe the alleged scheme operated and what additional legal steps may follow as the criminal case moves ahead.