A Lauderhill Police officer accused of taking over a dead resident’s home and using their identity was arrested on Tuesday, authorities said.
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Brian Sguros, 35, is facing several charges, including criminal use of a deceased person’s personal identification Information, criminal use of personal identification information, and offense against users of computers.
According to Lauderhill police, an investigation was launched on May 27 after a complaint was received. The investigation uncovered alleged conduct stemming from a July 2022 welfare check.
An arrest affidavit said Sguros and other officers responded to a welfare check in Lauderhill in 2022, where they found a resident who had died of natural causes.
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Sguros was then accused by investigators of taking possession of the resident’s home without any legal right to it, the affidavit said. He allegedly used the homeowner’s identity and a notary’s name and seal on a City of Lauderhill building permit application, as well as using his cellphone to send those documents and using police computers without authorization to look up the deceased resident’s records.
The resident’s lawful heirs were later identified.
Following the investigation into Sguros’ conduct, on July 22, he was relieved of duty and placed on administrative leave with pay.
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After his arrest, Sguros was placed on administrative leave without pay.
An investigation into the incident remains active.