Officers from the Largo Police Department arrested Dr. Tomasz Roman Kosowski on a charge of 1st-degree murder. He was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on Sunday, March 26, 2023, at approximately 4:15 a.m.
Largo Police confirmed that his arrest is directly connected to Steven Cozzi, an attorney missing from his Largo law firm.
In the early morning, multiple law enforcement officers and investigators were seen at Kosowski’s Tarpon Springs home on Seaview Drive for several hours this past Friday.
On March 21, 2023, the Largo Police Department responded to a call for service about a missing person. Officers learned that Cozzi had left his office, at 1501 S Belcher Road, leaving behind his wallet, car keys, and cellular telephone. He was in the process of responding to an email, and music was playing on his phone.
Cozzi’s boss, Jake Blanchard, discovered Cozzi missing and, while searching for him, entered the public bathroom of the office building. While inside, he noted blood smeared on the bathroom and on, the stall wall and the bottom of the toilet. The victim’s vehicle also remained in the parking lot. Blanchard reported that Cozzi went to the restroom between 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. and had not returned to his desk.
When officers arrived, they discovered that the only unsecured entrance to the building was the main lobby doors, monitored by external surveillance. While reviewing surveillance, officers learned that a grey Toyota Tundra arrived at the office building at 8:32 a.m.
At 8:34 a.m., an unidentified white male is seen entering the building wearing dark colored gloves, carrying a large box, and wearing a large backpack. Cozzi arrives at the building at 8:37 a.m., wearing a red sweater.
At 10:22 a.m., the subject, who has a similar build to the first subject and is wearing the same backpack, exits the building and appears to have changed clothes. He is seen pulling behind a large cart that seems heavy and has a red bag or blanket. It should be noted that the subject struggled with the weight of the cart while transporting it to the Toyota Tundra.
Cozzi missed a 10:30 a.m. telephonic court hearing that was supposed to be held with the defendant. Kosowski attended the telephonic hearing from 10:28-11:04 a.m.
As Kosowski disconnects from the court hearing, video captures the subject at the crime scene beginning to move again. Specifically, at 11:05 a.m., the subject is seen repositioning the cart by the Tundra.
The subject is later seen struggling to get the heavy cart into the truck’s bed on surveillance. Cozzi is never seen exiting the business on surveillance.
Forensics processed the scene and discovered a large quantity of blood that had been cleaned up from the bathroom floor. The blood smears were positive using a presumptive test. White fibers were also located in the bathroom and the victim’s vehicle. Of further note, Kosowski’s left index fingerprint was found on the scene in the breaker room (utility closet) for the office building, which is not in an area generally accessed by the public.
On March 14, 2023, an employee walked into the utility closet located in the common area of Building B, the building where the Blanchard Law office suite is located. She went to close the door and observed an unknown male hiding behind the door in the dark room. The male was described as wearing jeans, a loose t-shirt, and a surgical face mask. The male stated that he was there because of a “power outage” and walked out of the room. The employee observed the unknown male leave in a truck that was believed to be Toyota Tundra. The employee observed a yellow license tag affixed to the rear of the truck. Henrich further detailed that she believed the tag was possibly from New Jersey.
The Toyota Tundra travels to Kosowski’s home in Tarpon Springs, passing a Flock Camera at 11:51 a.m. with an image of a red bag or blanket in a cart that appeared to contain what resembles a human body the bed of the truck. The Tundra then arrived at Kosowski’s residence at 11:58 a.m.
On March 23, 2023, a search warrant was served on Kosowski’s home, and the same Toyota Tundra was found in the garage. During forensic processing, blood was located in the truck bed, on the driver’s side headrest, side floorboard, and garage floor. It should be noted that the Toyota Tundra was not registered and had an unassigned tag on it. The Tundra, however, was sold to Kosowski in Oct 2022. Kosowski did not register the vehicle or record the title. However, the seller recorded the sale with the State of Florida to Kowowski.
Kosowski’s red Toyota Corolla was seen leaving the area of his home on March 21, 2023, at 4:58 p.m. and later hit on license tag readers in the area of Miami, Florida. Investigators from the Largo Police Department learned that the Corolla was in the area of 52195 Tamiami Trail East in Ochopee, Florida, in the Florida Everglades on March 21, 2023, at 9:36 p.m. This is a very remote area of the Big Cypress Wildlife Management and near the National Preserve Midway Campground.
On March 25, 2023, Kosowski returned to Pinellas County and was stopped by the Tarpon Springs Police Department. A search warrant was served on the Corolla. During the search, a ballistic vest was found in the vehicle’s trunk with a substantial amount of blood on it. Red fibers were also located on the ballistic vest as well as white fibers. A bag containing masks, a taser, brass knuckles, duct tape, and intravenous sedatives, including succinylcholine (paralyzing agent) with syringes, was found on the passenger floorboard of the vehicle. In addition, four firearms were recovered, a .380 and three 9 mm handguns. Also located was over $280,000 cash, a GPS tracker along with a folding pocket knife, Apple iPhone, iPad, Tracfone, and MacBook. He was also in possession of a license plate-switching device.
Due to the large quantity of blood located at the crime scene, Kosowski’s home and vehicle, along with the fact that the subject removed a container large enough to conceal a human body and the victim was never seen exiting the business on surveillance it is believed that the victim is deceased and Kosowski intentionally, by a premeditated design caused his death.
Blanchard also reports that on January 26, 2023, Cozzi and Kosowski had both
previously attended deposition at the Blanchard Law office suite that became verbally
contentious. After the deposition, Kosowski confronted Cozzi in the men’s restroom in the common area just outside the office and verbally confronted Cozzi again before leaving.
Tomasz Roman Kosowski was placed in custody, transported to Pinellas County Jail, and charged with First Degree Murder. The body of Steven Cozzi has NOT been located at this time.
The Largo Police Department would like to thank the Tarpon Springs Police Department, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and The Pinellas-Pasco County State Attorney’s Office for their assistance in this ongoing investigation.
According to the Department of Health information, Dr. Kosowski’s primary practice location is 8396 SW 8th Street in Miami, Florida. That address is the location of Xiluet Plastic Surgery. The practice lists its services as “a wide range of cosmetic surgeries, including liposuction, tummy tuck, BBL, breast augmentation with implants, and more.”
Other online sources show Dr. Kosowski had a history at a few local plastic surgery centers, one in Dunedin and one in Tampa.
One of those facilities is the Laufer Institute of Plastic Surgery, located at 3129 Alt 19 in Dunedin, Florida. He began working at the institute on September 6, 2016.
On May 2, 2019, Dr. Kosowski filed a lawsuit against many individuals associated with the Laufer Institute of Plastic Surgery. In this case, many defendants are being represented by attorney Jake C. Blanchard of the Blanchard Law, P.A. firm located at 1501 S Belcher Rd. It is the same firm where attorney Steven Cozzi was last seen on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. According to Largo Police, he is missing under suspicious circumstances.
Below is his mother’s Facebook post asking for assistance in finding her missing son, Steven Cozzi
The lawsuit revolved around insurance billing negligence, breach of contract, negligent supervision, negligent hiring, and fraudulent misrepresentation. The case is ongoing, and a hearing was scheduled for March 21, 2023.
Additional information will be posted here, as this will likely become a quick-moving story.
A clear definitive motive is not known at this time.