The parents of a former Republican congressional aide were left speechless with shame after their 26-year-old daughter was charged with orchestrating an elaborate fake abduction, a scandal that has rocked a New Jersey community.
The Elaborate Alleged Hoax
Natalie Greene, who worked for US Representative Jeff Van Drew, is accused of fabricating a terrifying kidnapping in July where she claimed to have been ambushed, tied up, and cut by attackers. Prosecutors allege the 26-year-old went to extreme lengths, paying a body modification artist $500 to carve cuts into her torso with a scalpel to make her story appear credible.
She allegedly claimed her assailants had scrawled the words 'Trump w****' and 'Van Drew racist' across her stomach. The former Rutgers Law School student was found in a wooded area in Egg Harbor Township, bound with black zip ties and displaying distinct laceration marks.
A Story Unravels
Greene's elaborate story began to collapse under FBI scrutiny. Investigators discovered that zip ties identical to those used to bind her were found in her Maserati. Cellphone data and surveillance footage revealed her alleged female accomplice had searched for 'zip ties near me' and purchased them from a Dollar General store on July 21.
Further digital evidence uncovered Greene's Reddit account followed 'bodymods' and 'scarification' pages. Police confirmed she travelled to a Pennsylvania tattoo studio hours before the alleged attack, paying cash for the precise pattern of cuts and markings that appeared on her body.
Family Shame and Legal Consequences
Days after Greene was bailed out of jail on a $200,000 unsecured bond, her parents Timothy and Becky Greene appeared stony-faced and ashamed outside their $700,000 oceanfront home in Ocean City, New Jersey. They refused to answer questions about whether they were standing by their accused daughter, with Timothy hanging his head and Becky covering her face as she rushed inside.
Neighbours expressed bewilderment, describing Greene as a 'good girl' from a 'great family'. One long-time neighbour suggested she had 'just made a mistake' if the allegations prove true.
Greene now faces one count of conspiracy to convey false statements and hoaxes and one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement. If found guilty on both charges, she could face up to ten years in prison and $500,000 in fines. A spokesman for Representative Van Drew confirmed Greene no longer works for the congressman, stating their 'thoughts and prayers are with her'.
