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Cop Accused of Stealing Dead Man's Home
22 Oct
Summary
- Officer Sguros allegedly stole the home of a man he found dead.
- He posed as a friend to gain access to victim's personal information.
- An internal investigation led to the officer's arrest and charges.
A Lauderhill police officer, Brian Louis Sguros, has been arrested and faces serious charges for allegedly attempting to steal the home of a 71-year-old man whose body he discovered in July 2022. Authorities state Sguros, who had been a backup officer on a welfare check for Dennis West, saw an opportunity to exploit the situation after West was found to have died of natural causes.
Investigators revealed Sguros allegedly inserted himself into West's post-death affairs, falsely presenting himself as a friend to the Medical Examiner's Office to collect information. He claimed West had no living family, which was untrue. Sguros then began paying the deceased's home taxes and utilities using West's identification, even gaming city repair services.
Further investigation showed Sguros used law enforcement databases to gather more details about West. In February 2025, he formally informed the Broward County Property Appraiser's Office that he had possessed West's home since shortly after his death. A complaint in May 2025 triggered an internal affairs investigation.
Lauderhill Police confirmed Sguros took possession of the home without legal right. The case was handed over to the Broward Sheriff's Office for further inquiry, leading to Sguros's arrest on Tuesday. He had served as an officer since March 8, 2021, and was initially placed on administrative leave with pay before his arrest, after which he was put on leave without pay pending the internal administrative investigation.
