Florida Officer Arrested in 2022 Scheme to Seize Dead Man's House
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 22
Florida Officer Arrested in 2022 Scheme to Seize Dead Man's House
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 22
Summary
Brian Sguros, 35, was arrested Tuesday on charges including official misconduct and criminal use of a deceased person’s identity in an alleged bid to take a Lauderhill house.
The case began after Sguros answered a July 11, 2022 welfare check and found 71-year-old Dennis I. West dead at home; investigators say he later used West’s identity to try to take control of the property.
Broward County investigators said West had living relatives who should have inherited the house, undercutting any claim that the property was abandoned or ownerless.
Lauderhill police placed Sguros on administrative leave without pay, and Chief Constance Stanley said officers are sworn to protect residents, including those who can no longer speak for themselves.