Ex-NJ Congressional Staffer Attacked, Zip Tied, Dumped In The Woods. Feds Say She Set It Up

OCEAN CITY, NJ — An Ocean City woman and former staffer for Rep. Jeff Van Drew claimed she was the victim of a violent, politically motivated assault. But federal officials say she set it up.

Natalie Greene, 26, was charged with conspiring and falsely reporting to law enforcement that she had been violently assaulted with a firearm due to her employment with a federal official, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba said.

On July 23, Greene and a co-conspirator called 911 to report that Greene had been attacked at the Egg Harbor Township Nature Preserve, officials said.

They claimed that three men had called Greene by name and referenced her employment with Van Drew before threatening to shoot her, zip tying her and holding her down to cut and write on her body, according to court documents.

Greene alleged that the attackers had sliced all over her body. Writing on her stomach read "TRUMP WHORE" and her back said that Van Drew "IS RACIST," documents show.

"They were talking about politics, she works for [Federal Official 1]," the co-conspirator told the 911 operator, according to court documents. "They were like calling her like racist, calling her a whore, like like."

But an investigation revealed that two days before the alleged attack, Greene's co-conspirator had Googled "zip ties near me." Those same zip ties were found in Greene's car the night of the apparent attack, authorities said.

The day of the alleged attack, Greene went to a body modification/scarification studio in Pennsylvania, authorities said.

Photos from the scarification artist show Greene after his work had been completed. They perfectly matched the lacerations found on Greene's body in the hospital, authorities said.

While federal officials did not say whose office Greene worked for, Van Drew's office confirmed to other news outlets that she had previously been employed there.

Greene is currently a law student at Rutgers, according to her LinkedIn profile.

The count of conspiracy has a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of three years of supervised release. The count of false statements also has a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of three years of supervised release.