TOMS RIVER, NJ – A New Jersey woman employed by New Jersey Congressman Jeff Van Drew was charged Wednesday with conspiring to stage a violent assault and making false statements to law enforcement after investigators determined she fabricated the story and self-inflicted her injuries.
Federal prosecutors said Natalie Greene, 26, of Ocean City, falsely claimed she was attacked at gunpoint by three men while walking on a nature trail in Egg Harbor Township on July 23.
Key Points
- Natalie Greene, 26, was charged with conspiracy and making false statements after faking a violent assault in July.
- Investigators say she paid a body modification artist to inflict her wounds and used zip ties to stage the scene.
- The hoax triggered a large law enforcement response before being exposed through FBI and local investigation.
Greene appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal and was released on a $200,000 unsecured bond pending trial. She faces two federal charges: conspiracy to convey false statements and hoaxes, and making false statements to federal agents. Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced the charges, crediting a multi-agency investigation by the FBI, Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, Egg Harbor Township Police Department, New Jersey State Police, and U.S. Capitol Police.
According to court filings, Greene and an unnamed co-conspirator called 911 late on July 23 to report that they had been attacked by three armed men who referenced Greene’s employment with Van Drew.
Here’s What Happened
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On July 23, 2025, at approximately 10:36 p.m., the Egg Harbor Township Police Department received a 911 call stating that two women had been attacked by three unknown men at the Egg Harbor Township Nature Reserve (“Nature Reserve”). The 911 call had been placed by Co-Conspirator 1, who described herself as a friend of Natalie Greene (“Greene”). On this date, Greene was employed on the staff of Federal Official 1.
During the 911 call, Co-Conspirator 1 described the alleged attack as follows:
Operator: 911, what’s your emergency?
Co-Conspirator 1: I’m here at the EHT nature preserve. I came here with my friend and three guys just attacked us.
Operator: OK, you’re at the nature preserve?
Operator: When you said they attacked you, what do you mean?
Co-Conspirator 1: They were attacking her. They were like talking about politics and stuff. They were like calling her names.
Operator: Did they physically touch her?
Co-Conspirator 1: And they said they had a gun. And they said that if we don’t be quiet, they were going to shoot us.
Operator: OK, did you see the gun or did they just say they had one?
Co-Conspirator 1: No, I didn’t see it. It’s like pitch black out here.
Co-Conspirator 1: They were more focused on her. Like I had one guy holding me down and then the other two were on her. And I was able to run away.
Operator: You were able to run away, but they still have your friend?
Co-Conspirator 1: Yeah. I was able to get away from the one guy, but she couldn’t get away from the two guys.
Operator: They were holding you down?
Co-Conspirator 1: Yeah. They were trying to keep me down so I couldn’t help her.
Co-Conspirator 1: I don’t even think they were worried about me. They wanted—
Operator: Why did you think they wanted your friend? What’s your friend’s name?
Co-Conspirator 1: They were talking about politics. She works for [Federal Official 1]. They were calling her racist, calling her a whore.
Operator: OK. What was her name?
Co-Conspirator 1: Natalie Greene.
When Egg Harbor Township Police Officers arrived at the Nature Reserve, they met Co-Conspirator 1 in the parking lot area. She told the officers that she and Greene had arrived around 10:00 p.m. to walk on the trail. She stated that while walking, they were approached by three unknown men. Two of the men allegedly grabbed and held Greene down, while one grabbed Co-Conspirator 1. The men spoke to them and referred to Greene by her first name. Co-Conspirator 1 said she managed to escape and ran to the parking lot to call 911, believing Greene was still being held on the trail.
After giving this account, Co-Conspirator 1 led officers to the area where she said she last saw Greene. The trail area is heavily wooded and extremely dark at night. Officers, using a tracking K-9 and assistance from Co-Conspirator 1, found Greene just off the trail, approximately 2,200 feet from the parking lot.
When officers located Greene, she was lying on the ground with her feet and hands bound with black zip ties. Greene’s shirt had been pulled over her head and secured with additional zip ties. She was crying loudly and yelling, “He has a gun; he has a gun.”
When officers found Greene, she had numerous lacerations on her right side, including her face, neck, upper chest, and shoulder. The words “Trump Whore” were written on her stomach, and “[Federal Official 1] is Racist” was written on her back with a black marker. Officers called for an ambulance, carried her off the trail, and transported her to Hospital-1 in New Jersey.
Greene received medical treatment at Hospital-1 and was later transferred to Hospital-2, where she received additional treatment to close lacerations on her face, chest, and shoulder.
Before Greene was transported from the scene, on July 23, 2025, officers interviewed both Co-Conspirator 1 and Greene. Co-Conspirator 1 said she and Greene had driven to the reserve in Greene’s Maserati SUV. When asked for the keys, Co-Conspirator 1 became agitated and repeatedly questioned why officers wanted them and whether they planned to search the vehicle, stating the search “didn’t make any sense.” Officers explained their reasoning, and Greene consented to the search in writing.
Inside the Maserati, officers found two black zip ties similar to those used to bind Greene, along with a roll of Pro Essential duct tape.
At Hospital-1, officers interviewed Greene for more information about the alleged assailants. Greene stated she and Co-Conspirator 1 arrived between 9:30 and 10:00 p.m., saw no other cars, and were attacked by three unknown men who addressed her by name, called her racist and a whore, and threatened to kill her. She said one man held an object to her stomach, which she believed was a gun, though she did not see it because her head was covered by her shirt. She also stated that one or more of the men cut her with a sharp object.
Greene said she had no personal enemies but mentioned “a couple of threats at work,” noting that her office had received hate mail and, recently, a letter with powder that was reported to Capitol Police.
On July 24, 2025, detectives obtained emergency cell tower location data for Greene’s and Co-Conspirator 1’s phones. Greene’s data revealed travel that day to a Pennsylvania location matching the area of a scarification artist’s studio (Individual 1), then to Co-Conspirator 1’s residence in Ventnor, and finally to the Nature Reserve.
On July 25, 2025, officers obtained a warrant to search Co-Conspirator 1’s cell phone. A forensic search showed that on July 21, 2025—two days before the incident—the user searched Google for “zip ties near me.”
Officers then visited the Dollar General Store in Ventnor, where Co-Conspirator 1 lives. The store sold 8-inch black zip ties matching those used on Greene and found in the Maserati, as well as Pro Essential duct tape. Surveillance footage from July 21 showed Co-Conspirator 1 in the store about 40 minutes after the Google search. She purchased other items, though the camera did not show the zip-tie aisle.
On July 25, 2025, Greene was interviewed again by detectives and FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force agents at the Egg Harbor Police Department. In this video-recorded interview, Greene repeated her account of being attacked, restrained, struck, and cut by three men. She described the pain of the “scraping” and reiterated the gun threat.
When asked about threats at work, Greene discussed receiving racist hate mail, threats, and letters containing powder that had been reported to Capitol Police.
A search warrant was also obtained on July 25 for Greene’s cell phone. The extraction revealed a Reddit profile following “bodymods” and “scarification.” Greene’s map history showed routes to a Pennsylvania scarification studio, then to Co-Conspirator 1’s home, then to a Dunkin’ Donuts in Atlantic City, and finally to the Nature Reserve.
Detectives found a missed call and voicemail from the scarification artist on July 7, 2025, as well as a waiver form dated July 28, 2025. Instagram messages between Greene and Individual 1 showed Greene arranging an appointment and stating she expected to arrive around 2:00 p.m. on July 23, 2025.
On July 30, 2025, investigators interviewed Individual 1 at his studio in Pennsylvania. The studio requires ID and a signed waiver before procedures. Greene signed the consent form at 2:31 p.m. on July 23. A receipt showed she paid $500 cash at 6:09 p.m. for scarification work.
Individual 1 provided Instagram messages showing Greene selecting patterns, asking about pain levels, and discussing aftercare. He also provided photos taken after completing the scarification on July 23. The cuts in the photos matched exactly the laceration patterns observed on Greene at the Nature Reserve and later at Hospital-1.
Greene told officers she had been threatened at gunpoint, restrained, and cut by her attackers. But subsequent investigation revealed that she had paid a body modification and scarification artist to inflict the cuts according to a pattern she designed in advance.
Officers also recovered unused black zip ties from Greene’s car identical to those used to bind her limbs. Phone records showed her co-conspirator had searched for “zip ties near me” two days before the alleged attack.
False report prompted large-scale investigation
Authorities said the staged incident prompted significant law enforcement response, including the involvement of federal and local agencies investigating a possible politically motivated hate crime.
“The evidence made clear that this was a deliberate hoax,” prosecutors said in court, noting the false report diverted investigative resources and caused public concern.
Greene was charged following a federal investigation by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and local authorities. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Askin and Sara A. Aliabadi are handling the case in Camden, with assistance from James Donnelly of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.