A staff member working for a Republican Congressman was found in a distressing state in a New Jersey nature reserve. The woman, identified as Natalie Greene, was discovered crying and bound with zip ties, with the words ‘Trump wh—’ inscribed on her stomach, and cuts marking her face, neck, chest, and shoulders.

Greene, 26, made a frantic call to 911 from a nearby walking trail. She claimed that three men, one of whom was armed, had attacked her and threatened her life, specifically mentioning her employer, New Jersey Representative Jeff Van Drew.

According to Greene, the incident occurred following a series of threats she purportedly received while working in Rep. Van Drew’s congressional office.

However, under FBI investigation, inconsistencies in Greene’s account emerged, leading to her being charged with fabricating an elaborate hoax and making false statements.

Authorities found Greene visibly upset, with distinctive lacerations on her body. She was restrained with black zip ties on her hands, feet, and around her neck.

In her account to an FBI agent, Greene alleged that two men had ambushed her, forcibly lifted her shirt, and tied her up on the ground.

One of the men struck her on the head before cutting into her body and ‘scraping’ her, with the pain so intense she began to scream.

At that point, one attacker said he had a gun and told her to stay put and quiet or they would shoot her. Greene said she never actually saw a gun but felt an object push against her stomach.  

Natalie Greene, 26, had frantically dialed 911 from a walking trail after she said three men attacked her 

Written on her stomach were the words ‘TRUMP WH—‘ and on her back, ‘VAN DREW IS RACIST’

Greene spent several years as a constituent advocacy director for the Republican Congressman

That same night, however, police found extra, similar-looking black zip ties in Greene’s Maserati. 

Federal investigators later discovered that Green’s co-conspirator had googled ‘zip ties near me’ on a cell phone.

After seizing Greene’s cell phone, investigators then found a Reddit profile that followed pages that include ‘bodymods’ and ‘scarification.’

Elsewhere on her phone was a location map that took her from a Pennsylvania tattoo parlor/body modification artist and eventually to the nature preserve where she was found by police.

She also went to her co-conspirators home in Ventnor, a Dunkin Donuts in Atlantic City.

In the same town where Greene’s ally lived, they found a Dollar General Store that sold the same exact zip ties that had been used on her and found in her car.   

The markings, including the one calling her a slur and another saying ‘Van Drew racist,’ were found to be performed by the artist, who said Greene paid $500 in cash.

Greene, who had spent years as a constituent advocate director for Van Drew, took photos of the exact scars she wanted the artist to execute, complete with patterns for scars and cuts all over her face, neck, upper chest and shoulder. 

Law enforcement found Greene in tears, with distinct-looking laceration marks all over her body

Police found Greene crying in a wooded area off the trail in Egg Harbor Township with her hands and feet tied together and her shirt forced over her head, all with black zip ties and claiming that one of the attackers had a gun. Police found extra zip ties in Greene’s car that night

A federal investigation determined that Greene lied about the entire thing and paid a ‘body modification’ artist to put the lacerations on her body after she had given them a pattern

The artist said that Greene ask questions about how to prevent additional bleeding from the scarification and even took a photo showing her after the body modification process.  

Officials also discovered missed calls and voicemails from the artist, telling Greene to contact him on Instagram, as well as consent forms, receipts and a waiver signed by Greene for his studio dated July 28. 

US Attorney for New Jersey and Trump appointee Alina Habba charged Greene, a Rutgers Law School student, with 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, Greene faces up to ten years in prison, $500,000 in fines and up to six years of supervised release. 

She made her first appearance in federal court on Wednesday and was released on $200,000 unsecured bond. 

When The Daily Mail reached out to Van Drew’s office, a spokesperson said she is no longer working for the Congressman.  

‘While Natalie is no longer associated with the congressman’s government office, our thoughts and prayers are with her and hope she’s getting he care she needs,’ Paxton Antonucci said. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to Greene and her attorney for comment. 

Van Drew, who represents New Jersey’s 2nd district, left the Democrats after he vocally opposed the current impeachment investigation into Trump ahead of the upcoming vote. 

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy blasted Van Drew after word of his decision went public. 

If found guilty on both charges, Greene faces up to ten years in prison, $500,000 in fines and up to six years of supervised release

Van Drew, who represents New Jersey’s 2nd district, left the Democrats after he vocally opposed the current impeachment investigation into Trump ahead of the upcoming vote

‘Jeff Van Drew has chosen his political career over our Constitution,’ Murphy said, adding that he was ‘willing to enable Donald Trump just to try to salvage his own election.’

Trump praised Van Drew on Twitter and said the 66-year-old had ‘guts.’ 

‘Wow,’ Trump wrote in on tweet, ‘that would be big. Always heard Jeff is very smart!’

In another tweet, Trump said: ‘Thank you for your honesty Jeff. All of the Democrats know you are right, but unlike you, they don’t have the “guts” to say so!’ 

Van Drew’s move has proven successful, as he’s retained his seat in Congress in three elections since changing parties.