Florida plastic surgeon, Dr. Tomasz Kosowski, 44, has been arrested and charged with the murder of lawyer Steven Cozzi.
The murder victim went missing from his Tampa-based law firm, Blanchard Law. Cozzi, 41, was last seen on Tuesday during a bathroom break at work, and his body has not been recovered. However, authorities found pools of blood in the bathroom and a strong chemical odor at the scene.
Cozzi’s personal belongings, including his wallet, phone, and keys, were left in the law office, and his car was found in the parking lot. A forensic investigation revealed a significant amount of blood in the bathroom where he was last seen.
Police identified a suspicious person and car near the law office and discovered evidence linking Kosowski to the murder during a search of his Tarpon Springs home.
For the past four years, Blanchard Law has represented Kosowski’s former employer, Laufer Institute for Plastic Surgery, and its employees in a lawsuit he filed.
The ongoing case revolves around Kosowski’s allegations that a woman assigned to handle his insurance billing by the plastic surgery group failed to file claims and lied to his patients. He claims this has cost him tens of thousands of dollars and resulted in negative online reviews.
The lawsuit contends that the woman’s actions have “essentially obliterated” Kosowski’s once-promising career and deeply tarnished his reputation. Kosowski started working at the Laufer Institute in 2016 before leaving in 2018 to establish his own practice.
Kosowski, a former class president at Dartmouth College’s medical school, is currently held at the Pinellas County Jail on a first-degree murder charge.