Lauderhill, Florida – The allegations against a police officer in Florida are serious. The man is accused of stealing the identity of a 71‑year‑old after his death, even moving into the senior’s house and acting as if the man were still alive.

It all started with an incident in July 2022, when Officer Brian Sguros was dispatched for a so‑called “welfare check” at the home of 71‑year‑old Dennis West. The officer was only supposed to assess the man’s health after a concerned neighbor called the police.

According to LadBible, the Broward Sheriff’s Office says Sguros found the senior dead and then devised a “complex scheme” to seize the man’s house.

The officer allegedly first visited the medical examiner’s office and pretended to be a friend of the deceased – even though they had never met.

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Later, the officer even paid the deceased 71-year-old's taxes and utility bills for the man's house and used his identification documents to make it appear that Dennis West was still alive. With this ruse, he managed to obtain a city permit for repair work.

The Florida officer is also alleged to have used his official access to police databases to obtain information about the senior. The officer went so far as to forge the dead man's signature on documents multiple times.

Between August 2022 and February 2025, he arranged for the house to be upgraded through renovations and refurbishments, reportedly investing more than $210,000 of his own money.

To avoid arousing suspicion among the neighbors, he told them that West had given him the house. A resident recalled to WSVN that the police officer told her he planned to use the renovated house as a rental property.

The deception finally came to light in August 2025, when family members – who had legally inherited the building – sold the property to a real‑estate company. An employee on site then met Sguros, who handed over the keys but demanded compensation for repairs and improvements he claimed to have made.

When the investigation unfolded, everything fell apart for the officer, who was arrested. He is being charged with, among other things, abuse of office, unlawful use of a deceased person’s identity data, and misuse of personal data.