Full Breakdown
Lauderhill Officer Charged with Using Deceased Man’s Identity to Seize Property
By Drooid · · How we work
The Alleged Scheme
Brian Louis Sguros, a 35-year-old officer with the Lauderhill Police Department, was arrested on felony charges after a joint investigation by the Broward Sheriff’s Office and the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office. Investigators say Sguros responded to a welfare check at 4551 N.W. 12th St. in Lauderhill on July 11, 2022, where the homeowner, 71-year-old Dennis Ionis West, was found dead of natural causes.
According to the sheriff’s office, Sguros later presented himself to the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office as West’s friend, falsely claimed that West had no living relatives, and used West’s driver’s-license and Social-Security information to obtain a city permit for home repairs. Detectives allege Sguros forged West’s signature on the permit, paid property taxes and utility bills in West’s name, and filed paperwork asserting he had possessed the property since shortly after West’s death.
Data & Statistics
- $8,000 – amount cited for a window-and-door replacement permit that investigators say Sguros obtained using West’s identity.
- $214,000 – sum Sguros claimed to have spent of his own money on broader renovations, according to a television report.
- $500,000 – estimated post-renovation value of the home, as reported by the same source.
- $5,000 – value threshold for two fraud counts listed in the indictment (fraud-using a deceased person’s identification and fraud-impersonation).
Official Statements & Responses
He thanked the BCPA Crimes Against Property Team and the Broward Sheriff’s Office for their investigation.
The report also notes that Sguros accessed law-enforcement databases to retrieve West’s DMV and Social-Security records.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the scale of the alleged renovations. One report describes an $8,000 window-and-door project, while another claims Sguros spent $214,000 on extensive refurbishments that raised the property’s value to about $500,000. Neither source provides independent verification of the higher figure, and the sheriff’s office has not confirmed the total amount spent. Additionally, the notary listed on the forged permit denied signing the documents, but investigators have not released the notary’s name or further evidence.
Legal Status and Next Steps
Sguros is being held at the Broward County Main Jail. He was placed on unpaid leave by the Lauderhill Police Department following his arrest and is scheduled to appear before a judge on the Wednesday after his detention. The indictment includes charges of official misconduct, criminal use of a deceased person’s identification, fraud-impersonation, computer crime to defraud, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.