NJ Woman Charged with Staging Violent Attack and Lying to Federal Authorities

Natalie Greene, an employee of a federal official, is accused of conspiring to fabricate a politically motivated assault and providing false statements to law enforcement.

A 26-year-old woman from Ocean City, New Jersey, has been charged in federal court with conspiring to stage a violent attack and subsequently lying to law enforcement about the incident, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Natalie Greene appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal on November 19, 2025, in Camden federal court, where she was charged with one count of conspiracy to convey false statements and hoaxes and one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement. Greene was released on a $200,000 unsecured bond with additional conditions imposed by the court.

Fabricated Political Attack

According to court documents and statements made in court, Greene and a co-conspirator falsely reported a politically charged assault in Egg Harbor Township on the night of July 23, 2025. 

The co-conspirator called 911, claiming that Greene had been attacked by three men who verbally referenced her employment with a federal official—identified in court records as “Federal Official 1”—and used politically inflammatory language during the alleged assault.

When officers arrived, Greene was found in a wooded area near the trail, with her hands and feet bound with black zip ties and her shirt pulled over her head, also tied with zip ties. She had multiple lacerations on her face, neck, upper chest, and shoulders. Phrases including “TRUMP WHORE” and “[Federal Official 1] IS RACIST” were written on her body. Greene told officers one of the assailants had a firearm and threatened to shoot her.

However, the investigation uncovered that no such assault had occurred. 

Law enforcement determined Greene had paid a scarification artist to cut her intentionally, following a specific pattern she had provided. Investigators also found zip ties in her car matching those used in the staged scene and discovered that two days before the incident, her co-conspirator’s cellphone had been used to search for “zip ties near me.”

Greene repeated the false narrative multiple times, including during an interview with an FBI agent, further leading to the federal charges.

Penalties and Investigation

Both charges—conspiracy and making false statements—carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and three years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by a joint task force comprising:

• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

• Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office

• Egg Harbor Township Police Department

• New Jersey State Police

• U.S. Capitol Police

The prosecution is being led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Askin and Sara A. Aliabadi from the Criminal Division in Camden, along with James Donnelly of the Department of Justice National Security Division.

As with all criminal proceedings, the charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.