A Florida police officer who responded to a welfare check at a 71-year-old man’s home is now facing five felony charges after investigators found he used the dead man’s identity to take control of the property, renovate it, and pursue a financial interest in the house.

Brian Louis Sguros, 35, of the Lauderhill Police Department, was arrested on October 20, 2026, following a joint investigation by the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) and the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office. The allegations concern a house in Lauderhill, Broward County, and a series of events that investigators say began in July 2022.

A Welfare Check That Led to a Property Dispute

On July 11, 2022, Sguros and another officer responded to a welfare check at the home of Dennis Ionis West, who lived alone and had not been seen by concerned neighbors for roughly two weeks.

One neighbor, identified by WSVN as Naomi, recalled that West had been taking groceries out of his car but never returned to finish unloading them.…