Prominent Florida plastic surgeon on trial for allegedly killing 'beloved' lawyer over billing dispute
Lawyer Steven Cozzi, 41, who worked for Blanchard Law, a small law firm in Largo, Florida, went missing in 2023 and was thought to have been murdered by Dr. Tomasz Kosowski, 47, of Florida. (Photo courtesy of the Largo Police Department)
A prominent Florida plastic surgeon is set to go to trial Monday on murder charges in connection with the death of a lawyer who went missing in March 2023.
Dr. Tomasz Kosowski, 47, of Florida is accused of murdering attorney Steven Cozzi, 41, who’d faced him in a contentious lawsuit. Prosecutors alleged that Kosowski killed Cozzi in the men’s room of his law office, hauled the body to his truck, and disposed of it in a remote dumpster, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Cozzi, described as a “beloved” person, worked for Blanchard Law, a small law firm in Largo, Florida, specializing in business litigation, bankruptcies and contract disputes. according to the Tampa Bay Times. At the time that he went missing, Cozzi was representing a defendant being sued by Kosowski over medical billing disputes. His body was never found.
Investigators found blood in the restroom of Cozzi’s office, and videos showed a person whom detectives thought was Kosowski entering the building with a cart and later leaving with a large object on top of it and driving away in a truck.
Kosowski, a Polish-born, Ivy League-educated doctor with advanced degrees in business and the sciences, insists that he is innocent. He has chosen to represent himself and wants no jury. He faces the death penalty if convicted.
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