S.I. EMT rips off COVID patient

An EMT for a private ambulance company stole a credit card from a Staten Island coronavirus patient under his care, and spent $950 on convenience store purchases, officials said.

Firuz Barotov, 19, swiped the plastic from his patient on April 4 as he transported the man from Staten Island University Hospital to his home, according to court documents.

Over the next month, he used the card to buy groceries at various 7Elevens, Shell gas stations, a Dunkin’ Donuts and a Mexican restaurant, among other places, court papers show.

But the crime ate away at his conscience, and Barotov eventually tossed the card. He was arrested on May 21, a month after the COVID-19 patient reported the card stolen.

“I swiped it, then I swiped it again, then swiped it again,” Barotov told police after his arrest, according to court papers. “Then I threw it away. I threw out the card near the garbage by the Staten Island Mall because I felt guilty.”

At the time Barotov worked for the Primary Care Ambulance company. He was in the back of the ambulance with the patient when he took the credit card.

“I picked up the guy’s bag,” he confessed to police. “I picked up the wallet and took one card.”

Cops charged Barotov with multiple counts of grand larceny, petit larceny and possession of stolen property, and gave him a desk appearance ticket.

He was arraigned on the charges in Staten Island Criminal Court on Friday, where a judge ordered him released without bail.

Paul Lebowitz, president of Primary Care, said that Barotov was fired as soon as they learned about his arrest.

“What he did was against every principle he ever learned as an EMT and every principle we have at Primary Care,” Lebowitz said.