An aide to a Republican congressman from New Jersey faked being the victim of what she claimed was a politically motivated slashing in July, a narrative that quickly unraveled when investigators found spare zip ties in her Maserati, federal prosecutors said.
Law enforcement officers said that the aide had actually paid a body artist $500 to give her scars on her arms, chest, neck and face, for which the officers obtained a receipt and a consent form with a copy of her driver’s license.
The woman, Natalie Greene, 26, of Ocean City, N.J., told law enforcement officers that she had been bound at gunpoint at a nature reserve on the night of July 23 by three men, who had written the words “TRUMP WHORE” onto her stomach with a black marker during the slashing, the authorities said.
She also claimed that her attackers had also scrawled the name of her boss in marker on her back with the word “RACIST,” according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in New Jersey.
The complaint did not name the congressman, but a legislative database indicated that Ms. Greene had been working at the time as a constituent advocate director for Representative Jeff Van Drew, who represents South Jersey.
Ms. Greene was arrested on Wednesday and charged with conspiracy to convey false information and hoaxes, and making false statements, court records showed.
The charges against Ms. Greene carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. She was released on $200,000 bond.
Louis M. Barbone, a lawyer for Ms. Greene, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday but told The Associated Press that his client was presumed innocent under the law.
“At the age of 26, my client served her community working full time to serve the constituents of the congressman with loyalty and fidelity,” he said in statement. “She did that while being a full-time student.”
A spokeswoman for Mr. Van Drew did not immediately answer questions on Friday about Ms. Greene’s arrest.
In a statement to The New Jersey Globe, the congressman’s office said on Wednesday that those in the office were “deeply saddened” by the episode.
“While Natalie is no longer associated with the congressman’s government office, our thoughts and prayers are with her and hope she’s getting the care she needs,” the statement read.
On the night of July 23, the authorities received a 911 from a person who claimed that she and Ms. Greene had been attacked by three unknown men at Egg Harbor Township Nature Reserve, which is about than 10 miles from Ms. Greene’s home, the criminal complaint said.
The caller, whom investigators did not name but said was a co-conspirator, told the operator that Ms. Greene had been targeted because of her job.
“They were talking about politics,” the complaint quoted the co-conspirator as saying in the 911 call about the supposed attackers. “They were like calling her like racist, calling her a whore.”
When the police arrived at the nature reserve, officers found Ms. Greene on the ground, with her feet and hands bound with black zip ties, the authorities said.
Investigators said that Ms. Greene’s co-conspirator had become agitated when they asked for the keys to Ms. Greene’s Maserati but that she had ultimately consented.
Inside the vehicle, officers discovered the same type of zip ties and a roll of duct tape, according to the complaint.
While combing through the co-conspirator’s phone browsing history, officers learned that the co-conspirator had searched where to buy zip ties, the authorities said.
It was not immediately clear whether the co-conspirator faced any charges.
Two days after Ms. Greene claimed she had been attacked, she told an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation that the office where she worked had frequently received threatening mail, the complaint said.
“There’s so many,” the complaint quoted Ms. Greene as telling the agent. “Windmills belong on your grave. We keep all of our hate mail. We recently got like, a letter with like powder in it and stuff.”
Investigators said that Ms. Greene had used her phone to look up “bodymods” and “scarification” on Reddit and directions to a body artist in Pennsylvania, which they said she had visited on the day of the bogus attack.
Neil Vigdor covers breaking news for The Times, with a focus on politics.
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