LARGO, Fla. (WFLA) — A search warrant in the case of a missing Largo lawyer showed nearly $290,000 in cash and several guns were found in the plastic surgeon’s car who was arrested on suspicion of murder.
A license plate controller, hair net, surgical mask, gloves, sponges, a MacBook, and nearly $290,000 in cash were among items found in Tomasz Roman Kosowski’s red Toyota, according to a search warrant.
Kosowski, 44, was arrested Saturday after police stopped his vehicle in Tarpon Springs. He faces a first-degree murder charge in Steven Cozzi’s death, but Cozzi’s body has not been found.
The motive remains unclear, however, the affidavit said both men were supposed to attend the same hearing by telephone on Tuesday, March 21, which was the morning Cozzi disappeared.
Cozzi was last seen in his office at Blanchard Law, 1501 S Belcher Road. The firm’s managing partner, Jake Blanchard, told WFLA that Cozzi went to the bathroom but did not return.
Investigators later discovered that a large quantity of blood was cleaned up from the bathroom floor. The suspect’s fingerprint was found in the building’s breaker room, the affidavit said.
A week before Cozzi disappeared, detectives said a woman who worked at a nearby veterinary clinic reported a suspicious incident. She said she walked into the utility closet near the common area of Building B, where the Blanchard Law Office suite is located. The woman told detectives that she saw a man hiding behind a door in the dark room.
She said the man was wearing jeans, a loose t-shirt and a surgical face mask. The man told the woman that he was there because of a power outage and then walked out of the room.
The employee said the man left in a Toyota Tundra that may have had a New Jersey license plate.
The building’s surveillance cameras captured the Toyota Tundra arriving at Cozzi’s office around 8:32 a.m. the day of the supposed murder. Moments later, a man identified as Kosowski was seen entering the building, wearing a backpack and gloves, and carrying a large box.
Five minutes later, Cozzi arrived at the office.
Around 10:22 a.m., Kosowski was seen leaving the building in different clothes. He was pulling a cart that contained a red bag or blanket, which he was struggling to transport to the Tundra.
Police said their telephone hearing was supposed to begin at 10:30 a.m. Kosowski attended the hearing from 10:28 a.m. to 11:04 a.m., but Cozzi did not show up.
Kosowski disconnected from the hearing and was captured at the scene of the crime moments later. The video shows him repositioning the cart near the Tundra and struggling to get it into the bed of the truck.
Kosowski then drove to his Tarpon Springs home, the report said. A license plate reading camera captured an image of the cart in the bed of the truck with a red bag or blanket containing something resembling a human body.
Hours later, Kosowski’s red Toyota Corolla was seen leaving the area of his home. Officials said Kosowski’s car was “hit on tag readers” in the Miami area.
On Saturday, Kosowski was pulled over in the red Corolla. However, Cozzi remains missing.
Anyone with information regarding Cozzi’s whereabouts can contact Detective Bolton with the Largo Police Department’s Investigations Division at 727-587-6730.
