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 — increasing the value to over $500,000.
In July 2022, Lauderhill police officer Brian Louis Sguros responded to a welfare check on Dennis Ionis West, 71, after a neighbour reported they hadn’t seen him in a week.
Tragically, Sguros, 35, along with another officer, found West deceased in the front entrance of his South Florida home.
Officials ruled the pensioner’s death as natural, and cited cardiovascular disease as the root cause, according to local news outlet WPLG.
During this time, Sguros reportedly claimed to have been friends with West, even offering to arrange his funeral should no family members come forward.
However, not long after, Sguros is alleged to have illegally commandeered the home, moved into it with his partner and spent years renovating the property, while also paying the taxes and utility bills.
The police officer claimed he used $214,000 of his own money to restore the house, which WPLG said was to ‘deter criminal activity and squatters’.
One of West’s neighbours, Lethel Haye, said she was confused at the time by how quickly Sguros appeared to have acquired the property.
‘I was wondering, Dennis had just passed away and how could he have gotten the house so quick.
‘He was like taking out all the rotten boards and everything inside and putting it outside, and at one point, they were living in there,’ she said.
Sguros also reportedly used West’s identity to gain permits to replace the doors and windows for $8,000.
The officer allegedly forged paperwork using West’s driver’s license and signature to prove that the deceased was still alive and owned the property.
He then hired a construction company to complete some of the work, which was under the impression that their client, West, was alive and had requested the renovations.
But Sguros’ bizarre DIY project came to a screeching halt when Equinox Realty Holding, a Florida-registered buy-and-hold real estate investment firm, connected with West’s heirs and informed them about the property.
While Sguros handed over the keys to the family, he was later arrested after trying to sue West’s heirs for extensive renovation reimbursements.
According to the South Florida SunSentinal, the Broward Sheriff’s Office alleged: ‘Sguros represented himself to the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office as West’s friend although there is no indication he knew West, and stated that West had no living family, which was untrue.’
The real estate investment firm’s lawyer found that Sguros had allegedly abused his law enforcement role, including using his work computer to obtain West’s DMV and Social Security records. Records show he also searched West’s name on multiple occasions.
In July, Sguros was suspended with pay. However, since his arrest, he has been placed on unpaid leave and is reportedly being held at the Broward County Jail.
Sguros faces five felony charges. According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the charges are: official misconduct, criminal use of a deceased person’s personal identification information, criminal use of personal identification information, offence against a computer user, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Following Sguros’ arrest, Broward County Property Appraiser Marty Kiar spoke to Local 10 News, calling the allegations particularly troubling given the public is supposed to trust police officers.
‘We hold police officers in the highest regard because they take an oath to protect the public,’ he said.
‘This case is so troubling because this officer has been charged with using his position to defraud the public.’