A Florida police officer, who discovered a deceased man during a welfare check, allegedly took over his property. He even posed as the dead man for nearly three years and renovated the home using forged documents, according to investigators and police records. According to NBC, the case began on July 11, 2022, when Brian Louis Sguros, a 35-year-old officer with the Lauderhill Police Department, responded to a routine welfare check at a home in Lauderhill, Florida. Inside, Sguros and other responding officers found the body of 71-year-old Dennis West. There was no evidence that the two had ever met A medical examiner later determined that West had died from natural causes related to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office alleged that Sguros took advantage of the situation soon after. He told the medical examiner’s office that he was a personal friend of West, but investigators reportedly found no evidence that the two had ever met. Sguros also claimed that West had no living family members, but authorities later found that this was false. By August 2022, just weeks after finding West’s body, Sguros had filed paperwork to take possession of the property. Investigators say Sguros also used his position to get hold of West’s personal information. An audit of his work computer reportedly uncovered multiple unauthorized searches of law enforcement databases to access West’s driver’s license record. The searches gave him access to West’s address, date of birth, Social Security number, and other sensitive information. From August 2022 through February 2025, Sguros allegedly managed the home using West’s identity. He paid property taxes and utility bills in West’s name. He also carried out extensive renovations, later claiming he had spent at least $214,000 of his own money repairing, securing, and cleaning the property. According to investigators, Sguros forged West’s signature on building permits but left contractors with his own phone number. He reportedly told them the homeowner was “unavailable.” Things began to unravel in February 2025, when Sguros filed a property claim while West’s actual heirs pursued probate proceedings. Those proceedings eventually led to the sale of the property to a real estate company. The officer is now seeking reimbursement for all his renovation When a company employee confronted Sguros in fall 2025, he handed over the keys. He later filed a civil lawsuit seeking reimbursement for the renovation costs. In doing so, he acknowledged that his initial connection to the property came through his work as a police officer. Sguros was arrested on October 20, 2026, following a complaint and subsequent investigation. He faces felony charges, including official misconduct and identity theft involving a deceased person. He was placed on unpaid administrative leave and held on a $25,000 bond. The charges are allegations, and the case has yet to establish Sguros’ guilt. For now, investigators’ account of what happened remains at the center of the criminal proceedings.