A 26-year-old Ocean City woman who reported being brutally assaulted for her work with U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew has been charged with fabricating the entire incident, federal authorities announced Wednesday.
Natalie Greene was charged with one count of conspiracy to convey false information and hoaxes and one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement.
The Republican congressional aide falsely claimed she was zip-tied and branded with political slurs in a brutal assault, according to federal prosecutors who allege she staged the entire incident.
Greene made an initial appearance in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal and was released on a $200,000 unsecured bond.
According to a criminal complaint from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the investigation began on the night of July 23, 2025, when a 911 call reported that Greene and a companion had been attacked by three men while walking on a trail in Egg Harbor Township.
Police located Greene in a wooded area with her hands and feet bound by black zip ties. She had multiple lacerations on her face, neck, and upper body.
The phrases “TRUMP WHORE” and “VAN DREW IS RACIST” were written on her torso. Greene told officers her assailants had referenced her employment with a federal official and that one had threatened her with a gun.
The complaint alleges that the attack was a hoax orchestrated by Greene. Investigators claim she paid a body modification artist $500 to inflict the lacerations based on a pattern she provided.
While the complaint does not name Greene’s employer, NJToday has confirmed she was working as a constituent advocate director for Congressman Jeff Van Drew, who was elected as a Democrat but switched to the Republican Party in 2020, pledging his “undying support” to President Donald Trump after opposing the GOP tyrant’s first impeachment.
Greene claimed her fantasy attackers mentioned her work for Van Drew, who is the U.S. Representative for New Jersey’s 2nd congressional district.
“We are deeply saddened by today’s news, and while Natalie is no longer associated with the congressman’s government office, our thoughts and prayers are with her,” said a statement from Van Drew’s office. “We hope she’s getting the care she needs.”
Before his time in the U.S. House, he held several local and state-level offices in New Jersey, including Mayor of Dennis Township, County Freeholder, State Assemblyman, and State Senator. His professional career was as a dentist, a practice he owned and operated for 30 years.
Van Drew, chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight, asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the bomb threats made against seven polling locations across New Jersey.
In December 2024, Van Drew claimed that mysterious drones spotted over New Jersey might be coming from an Iranian “mothership” off the East Coast.
This bogus claim was quickly and explicitly denied by the Pentagon and other federal officials.
After his party switch, Van Drew became a vocal critic of offshore wind energy projects, despite having previously led the congressional Offshore Wind Caucus.
Van Drew also supported Trump’s unsuccessful attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election, moves critics describe as a failed coup d’état.
Evidence cited includes the discovery of similar zip ties in Greene’s vehicle and cellphone records showing an online search for “zip ties near me” from a co-conspirator’s phone two days before the reported attack.
A scarification artist uses various techniques, like cutting or abrasion, to create art by intentionally carving designs into the skin, relying on the body’s natural healing process to form permanent scar tissue.
After the incident, Greene received medical treatment and repeated her account to law enforcement, including an FBI agent.
The complaint states that inconsistencies in the accounts of Greene and her co-conspirator, along with digital and physical evidence, led investigators to conclude the assault was staged.
If convicted, Greene faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.
The case is being investigated by multiple agencies, including the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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