A Florida cosmetic surgeon has been charged with the murder of a lawyer who went missing while working for a company that defends former coworkers whom the former was prosecuting.
Tomasz Roman Kosowski, 44, was apprehended and charged with first-degree murder in relation with Steven Cozzi’s disappearance on Saturday, according to a press statement from the Largo Police Department.
Cozzi, 41, was last seen on Tuesday, March 21, at his workplace, Blanchard Law, situated at 1501 South Belcher Road in Largo, west of Tampa.
Jake Blanchard, the firm’s managing partner, told WFLA that he reported Cozzi, his closest friend, missing after he went to the restroom at work that day and never returned.
On Sunday, police said they reacted to a report about a missing individual on Tuesday and discovered Cozzi had fled his workplace, leaving behind his wallet, vehicle keys, and smartphone.
According to police, he was never seen leaving the premises and had left his car behind. Although Cozzi’s corpse has yet to be discovered, police say they have proof that he was murdered by Kosowski, also known as “Dr. K.”
According to police, there was “a strong chemical odour” as well as tiny drops of blood in the legal office’s men’s restroom.
According to police, a forensics examination found “a significant amount of blood in the same bathroom.”
Detectives started searching for a suspicious person and car seen at the workplace, which led them to Kosowski, they claimed.
According to officers, evidence discovered during a search of his Tarpon Springs residence led to his arrest on Saturday. The police did not go into detail about the proof. The Largo Police Department was approached via email by Newsweek.
According to online documents, Kosowski was entered into the Pinellas County Jail around 4:15 a.m. on Sunday and is still being detained without bond at the time of writing. There is no indication in the documents that he has a counsel.
Blanchard Law is defending Kosowski’s former boss and coworkers in a lawsuit he brought against them, according to the Associated Press (AP) and the Tampa Bay Times.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Kosowski launched the complaint against individuals affiliated with Laufer Institute of Plastic Surgery for negligence, violation of contract, and deceptive misrepresentation.
Kosowski stated in his lawsuit that he began working at Laufer Institute of Plastic Surgery in 2016, primarily conducting breast reconstruction procedures.
According to the Associated Press, he claimed that the lady in charge of his insurance accounting failed to submit claims and misled to his patients, costing him tens of thousands of dollars and causing bad evaluations of him to be posted online.
“Dr. K’s promising young career has essentially been obliterated” by the woman’s actions, Kosowski’s lawsuit says. “Through no fault of his own, his career was put directly in jeopardy and his reputation has been deeply tarnished.”
According to the Florida Department of Health, Kosowski earned bachelor and master’s degrees from the University of New Mexico before completing medical school at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.
Kosowski studied at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business while pursuing his medicine degree. He earned both a medical degree and an MBA in 2007.
He then finished an internship at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, from 2008 to 2014, as well as three cosmetic surgery fellowships between 2007 and 2015.
According to a news statement revealing his employment at Laufer Institute, Kosowski has “made a name for himself as an innovative and accomplished plastic surgeon.”
The release also described him as “a pioneer in the use of native fat for breast and buttock enhancement” and “optimally positioned to become a national leader in this exciting and growing subspecialty in cosmetic surgery.”
According to the Associated Press, he quit Laufer Institute in 2018 to start his own practise.
Kosowski’s main practise address is 8396 SW Eighth Street in Miami, according to the Department of Health. Xiluet Plastic Surgery is situated at that location and promotes “exceptional cosmetic procedures at affordable prices,” though Kosowski does not appear to be listed on the clinic’s website.
