He seized the house of the man he found dead! U.S. officer in custody...

The Lauderhill Police Department in Florida, United States, has come to public attention amid a fraud case alleged to involve a police officer. 35‑year‑old officer Brian Louis Sguros is accused of attempting to unlawfully obtain the identity information and home of 71‑year‑old West, whom he found dead during the incident.

According to information reported by WPLG, Sguros was part of the team that went to the elderly man's house on July 11, 2022, following a neighbor's tip. It was determined that West, found dead at the house entrance, had died of natural causes.

He Identified Himself as a Relative of the Deceased

Investigations revealed that Sguros claimed to be friends with the deceased and said he could handle the funeral arrangements if the family members were unreachable.

However, investigations conducted by the Broward County Sheriff's Office found no evidence that the pair had met before the incident. The officer was also alleged to have provided false information stating that the elderly man's family members were absent.

He Created Fake Documents Using the Deceased Man's Identity

According to the indictment, Sguros began exercising control over the property weeks after the incident without any legal basis. He claimed to have spent more than $214,000 of his own money to protect the dilapidated house from criminal activity and to raise its value to about $500,000.

However, it was alleged that he committed irregularities during the renovation work. It was claimed that Sguros used the deceased man's driver's license, personal information, and forged signature when applying for an $8,000 project to replace doors and windows.

The documents show that West signed in front of a notary in August 2024. However, the notary named in the documents reported to authorities that the signature and seal did not belong to him.

Accessed Secret Records from the Police Computer

Another claim that stood out in the investigation was the police officer's abuse of his professional authority. It was determined that Sguros repeatedly accessed the deceased man's confidential records in the Motorlu Taşıtlar Dairesi and Sosyal Güvenlik systems using the computer assigned to him.

The alleged irregularities that had persisted for years came to light when West's legal heirs emerged. The heirs' representatives, through police and real‑estate company attorneys, discovered the irregularities and filed a complaint.

He Filed a Counterclaim When Heirs Came Forward

It was stated that Sguros agreed to hand over the property keys to the legal owners, but filed a counterclaim to recover the expenses he incurred for the house in February 2026.

Sguros, who has been serving in the Lauderhill Police Department since March 2021, was arrested on 20 October 2026. The police officer, facing a number of serious charges including forgery, identity theft, and sophisticated fraud, was handed over to Broward County Prison.