Officer accused of seizing dead man’s home after welfare check
A Florida police officer, Brian Louis Sguros, is accused of taking over a dead man’s home after helping discover his body during a welfare check. Prosecutors allege he used the dead man’s identity to seek approval for building work, raising concerns about abuse of police authority and the rights of the man’s heirs.
Dennis Ionis West was found dead at his Lauderhill home on 11 July 2022; an autopsy attributed his death to cardiovascular disease. Investigators say Sguros took possession of the property about three weeks later and spent more than $214,000 renovating it, while he says he was protecting it from squatters and crime. He faces five criminal charges, including official misconduct and misuse of identification information.
- Officer accused of taking over a dead man’s home.
- Investigators allege he used the man’s identity for a permit.
- He says he spent $214,000 securing and renovating the property.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “Police officer called to welfare check found a man dead in his home… and then decided to move into the house and take it over, prosecutors allege”.