Cranberry couple accused of bankruptcy fraud

Federal prosecutors are investigating a Cranberry real estate agent and his wife for bankruptcy fraud and Thursday moved to seize their house in Florida, which prosecutors said was bought with assets the couple hid from bankruptcy proceedings in Pittsburgh and Florida.

The U.S. Attorney’s office filed a motion for forfeiture of property in Port St. Lucie that prosecutors said Gregory Makozy and his wife, Maria Makozy, bought with proceeds from the sale of their million-dollar Butler County house.

Prosecutors said Mr. Makozy, who formerly ran A1 Mortgage Corp. in Cranberry and now operates Makozy Real Estate in Florida, declared bankruptcy in Florida in 2013. The year before, he had sold the couple’s house for more than $1 million, wired about half that amount to his corporate bank account in Florida, then did not report the amount in his bankruptcy filings. He withdrew the amount in July 2012.

In 2013, his wife, who had also declared bankruptcy in Pittsburgh in 2010, deposited $350,000 in cash at PNC Bank under the name Assurance Settlement Services and then wired that amount to the closing agent to buy the Florida property, which the couple placed in her maiden name, Maria Salvati.

In their bankruptcy filings, Mr. Makozy had listed total assets of $1,321 and Mrs. Makozy listed assets of $500.

The U.S. Attorney’s office said they committed bankruptcy fraud and money laundering by concealing a total of $505,915 from bankruptcy court.