An officer allegedly discovered a resident dead during a welfare check, then used the dead man’s identity to take over his home and carry out renovations before his arrest.
The investigation also revealed that Sguros paid the taxes and utilities at the home in West’s name and used West’s identification to make it appear that West was still alive to get the city of Lauderhill to issue a permit to facilitate repairs.
Dennis Ionis West hadn’t been seen for about two weeks, prompting a neighbor to call for help on July 11, 2022 (as reported by the Broward Sheriff’s Office). Officer Brian Louis Sguros responded as a backup officer to the home.
West, 71, was found dead of natural causes from arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease (Dennis Ionis West). Within weeks of the discovery, investigators say Sguros orchestrated a complex scheme to take control of West’s home
by inserting himself into the deceased man’s post-death affairs.
Officer Accused Of Impersonating Deceased Man
Authorities allege that Sguros presented himself to the medical examiner’s office as a personal friend of West, stating that West had no living relatives. In civil pleadings, Sguros contended that he intervened because the property was hazardous and he wanted to prevent criminal activity and people from squatting
.
Between July 2022 and January 2023, he performed searches using his department-issued computer. He pulled up West’s driver’s license records, date of birth, Social Security number, and vehicle details.
Permits And Renovations Funded By Forged Signatures
A 21-page arrest affidavit outlines how Sguros forged West’s signature on building documents. He used the deceased man’s identity to secure municipal permits.
In 2024, a permit application filed to replace windows and doors listed West as the property owner. It included his driver’s license details and bore a purported signature from him. The phone number listed on the application belonged directly to Sguros. A project manager working on the windows later told investigators that Sguros told him West was unavailable.
A notary whose stamp and name appeared on the paperwork told police she had never signed the documents and that the stamp did not match her own.
Sguros maintained in court pleadings that he poured over $214,000 of his own money into repairing and refurbishing the structure. This raised the property value to approximately $500,000. He insisted he did not conceal his presence or activities and did not attempt to hide the improvements he was making
to the house.
Equinox Investigation Leads To Arrest
Equinox Realty Holdings, LLC noticed the permit documentation and researched the property. They uncovered that West actually left behind several legal heirs. Equinox bought the property interests directly from West’s family and took lawful possession in late 2025.
Sguros surrendered the keys and subsequently filed a lawsuit in February 2026 seeking an equitable lien and reimbursement for his renovation expenses. An attorney for Equinox referred the matter to the Lauderhill Police Department in May. This triggered a joint inquiry by the Broward Sheriff’s Office and the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office Crimes Against Property Unit.
Sguros was placed on administrative leave with pay on July 22 before being transitioned to unpaid leave after his arrest. He faces multiple felony counts, including official misconduct, criminal use of a deceased person’s identification, criminal use of personal identification information, offense against a computer user, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device.
Sguros appeared in Fort Lauderdale court where a judge ordered him held on a $25,000 bond. He didn’t do anything wrong, and we look forward to getting him exonerated,
said defense attorney Bruce Lyon.