Florida Hospital Employee Went on Spending Spree With Dead Patient's Credit Card, Police Say

July 26, 2012 — -- A Florida hospital employee used a dead patient's credit card information to purchase plane tickets, buy shoes and pay off her phone bill, police said.

Margaret Nunn, 53, who works as a patient registration representative, was arrested Wednesday on one count of identity theft and seven counts of credit card fraud.

Police said Nunn admitted stealing from the unidentified 63-year-old victim, who died in the emergency room at Sarasota Memorial Hospital on June 10.

"Within hours after his death his three credit cards were used to purchase airline tickets, bridal shoes, pay phone bills and other assorted items totaling over $1186.00," Sarasota police said in a statement.

Detectives worked with the hospital's public safety office to identify Nunn as a suspect, police said.

She was suspended from her job and was later terminated on June 29, said Kim Savage, spokeswoman for Sarasota Memorial Hospital.

"It was an isolated individual," Savage said. "In this case she just wrote down the information while she was registering the patient."

The hospital routinely conducts audits to ensure that employees are only accessing patient information for legitimate reasons, Savage said.

Nunn is being held at Sarasota County Jail and has a $10,000 bond.