It is the kind of story that can happen anywhere, but the second you find out it happened in Florida, it feels like it couldn’t have happened anywhere else.
According to reporting from The New York Times, a cop from the South Florida city of Lauderhill, smack in the middle of Broward County, spent the past three years living under the identity and in the home of a 71-year-old man who died alone.
Back in July 2022, Officer Brian Sguros responded to a welfare check on Dennis I. West. West had passed away from cardiovascular disease, but instead of just processing the scene, Sguros apparently saw a prime piece of real estate waiting for a hostile takeover. Court records show Sguros lied to the medical examiner, claiming to be West’s close pal, telling officials that the guy had no living relatives. He signed off on West’s cremation.
A Florida Cop Allegedly Lived in a Dead Man’s House for 3 Years, and Nobody Noticed
Sguros then moved into the home and became a ballsy squatter, abusing his access to public records as a police officer to run unauthorized database searches to track down West’s Social Security number and driver’s license info. He started paying taxes and utility bills under West’s name, even forging the dead man’s signature on building permits. He put $214,000 of his own money into renovating the place, telling neighbors he planned to turn it into an Airbnb.
The whole charade collapsed when a real estate firm legally bought the house from West’s actual living family and rolled up to take possession, only to find Officer Sguros hanging out inside. He surrendered the keys, but then sued the real estate company so he could get his renovation costs back.
Broward County investigators had opened an inquiry into Sguros, who was arrested in October on multiple felonies, including official misconduct and criminal use of the deceased person’s identification. He has resigned from the police force.
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