Danielle Conti, 43, a nurse at Staten Island University Hospital North in New York, is accused of using the card belonging to Anthony Catapano three days before he died of coronavirus

Mirror.co.uk| nurse has been accused of stealing a credit card belonging to her patient as he lay dying from coronavirus in hospital.

Danielle Conti, 43, a nurse at Staten Island University Hospital North in New York, is accused of taking the card belonging to Anthony Catapano and using it twice.

Mr Catapano’s daughter Tara, 37, claims the card was used to buy petrol and groceries worth a total of $60 (£49).

The 70-year-old was rushed to hospital on April 4 after falling ill with Covid-19 but his daughter said he was alert when the theft took place, CNN reports.

He died eight days later.

His grieving daughter has been paying her dad’s bills since her mum Nancy died in 2014 but she said she normally doesn’t track his spending closely.

However, she said she alerted police when she received a credit card statement for petrol, which her dad always paid for with cash, and she noticed it was bought on April 9 while her dad was fighting for his life.

She said: “Obviously, I knew it had to be a hospital employee because visitors weren’t really allowed.”

Ms Catapano said police showed her CCTV footage from grocery store that showed a woman who appeared to be Conti paying for goods using her dad’s card.

Conti has been charged with grand larceny, petty larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.

“I would want to know why she took advantage of my father while he was on his deathbed,” she said.

Adding she was disgusted that the person who was supposed to be looking after her dad stole from him, she said: “I would want to know how she would feel if someone did that to a loved one of hers – whether it was a parent or grandparent. I don’t think when people do these things they think of it like that.”

Some of Mr Catapano’s personal possessions have also gone missing including his spectacles, cell phone, cash in his wallet, phone chargers and pictures.

But It’s not clear what happened to them or if they were intentionally stolen.

Christian Preston, the director of public affairs for Staten Island University Hospital, told CNN Conti, who has worked at the hospital since 2007, has been suspended and faces being dismissed following police charging her.

He also said the hospital is working closely with police and they have launched their own investigation.

Conti is due to appear at Staten Island criminal court in September.