Nurse Accused of Stealing from Dying Patient at Staten Island University Hospital

A nurse at Staten Island University Hospital has been accused of stealing a credit card from a patient dying of COVID-19, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the investigation.

The 70-year-old male patient who lived on Staten Island died on April 12.

Danielle Conti, 43, of Grace Drive in Old Bridge, N.J., was arrested and charged by police with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and petit larceny, according to the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

Conti was hired as a nurse at SIUH. Witnesses say she removed a patient’s credit card while he was being treated and used that card to make purchases without permission.

An unauthorized charge made after the patient died was discovered by a relative who was sorting through the man’s finances after his death.

The incident was reported to the police on April 28. The authorities have not yet announced what the nurse purchased with the card.

Conti has no prior arrests on record, according to a source.

“Danielle Conti has been temporarily suspended and faces termination in response to the felony charges,” according to a statement from SIUH. “We are working closely with the law enforcement authorities and the hospital is conducting its own investigation. Ms. Conti has been an employee since 2007.”