Florida police officer arrested for taking over dead man's home

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 21 Oct, 15:20 · Archive

A Lauderhill police officer has been arrested for illegally occupying and renovating a dead man's house for four years.

Brian Louis Sguros, a Lauderhill police officer, has been arrested and charged with fraud and falsifying official documents after allegedly taking over and renovating the home of Dennis Ionis West, a 71-year-old man, for four years.

In July 2022, Sguros responded with another officer to a welfare check at West's South Florida home after a neighbour reported concerns about the elderly man. West was found dead inside his front entrance, with officials ruling his death natural, caused by cardiovascular disease. Sguros then told the Broward County Medical Examiner's Office that he had been friends with West and offered to arrange a funeral, though there is no indication he knew West. He also stated that West had no living family, which was untrue.

Weeks later, Sguros took illegal possession of the property and moved in with his partner. He claimed to have spent $214,000 of his own money refurbishing the house, renovating the property to prevent criminal activity and squatters. The work included replacing rotten boards, doors and windows and cleaning the home, raising the property's value to about $500,000. Sguros also reportedly used West's identity to gain permits for the renovations.

Sguros was caught when he sued West's heirs for reimbursement for the money he had spent on the renovations, triggering an investigation that revealed his illegal occupation of the property.

How it is being reported

• Police officer ‘moved into dead man’s home and pretended to be him for 4 years’A Florida policeman has been arrested for illegally using his own money to renovate a deceased person’s home (Picture: WPLG Local 10) For the last four years, a Florida police officer has allegedly lived in the home of a dead pensioner and used the deceased’s identity to renovate the home —…Metro · 21 Oct, 15:04
• Florida police officer allegedly took over dead man’s home, posed as him for 4 years before being caughtA Florida police officer is accused of illegally taking over a dead man's home, using his identity and renovating the residence over a span of four years, only to be caught when he sued the owner's heirs for reimbursement for the renovations.New York Post · 21 Oct, 07:21

In this story: Brian Louis Sguros · Dennis Ionis West · Lauderhill Police · Florida · Broward County

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