Florida Police Officer Accused of Taking Over Dead Man's Home
Source reports published 23 Oct 2026, 12:24 pm – 2:54 pm AEST
A Lauderhill police officer, Brian Sguros, is accused of taking control of a deceased man’s home in Florida after discovering his body in 2022. He allegedly impersonated the deceased man for years, making repairs and paying bills in his name.
What happened
- Lauderhill police officer Brian Sguros is accused of taking control of a $400,000 home in South Florida following the death of Dennis West in August 2022.
- According to court documents, Sguros took possession of the property weeks after discovering West’s body.
- He then spent approximately 2.5 years making repairs, spending over $200,000 of his own funds, citing the house’s dilapidated condition.
- Sguros used West’s identification to pay taxes and obtain permits for the repairs.
- Investigators with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office allege he fabricated information, telling the medical examiner that West had died of natural causes and had no family, which was untrue.
- He also used law enforcement databases to gather information about West.
- The deception began when Sguros falsely stated he was friends with West and that his death was natural.
- The arrest followed a real estate group purchasing the property from West’s relatives in 2025.
- Sguros has been charged with five felonies, including official misconduct and criminal use of deceased personal identification.
Original reporting
- Sydney Morning Herald: Florida cop caught living in a dead man’s house for years
2026-10-23T04:54:08+00:00 - South China Morning Post: US police officer accused of taking over dead man’s home after finding body
2026-10-23T02:24:00+00:00