A Republican aide from New Jersey has been ordered to undergo inpatient mental health treatment after allegedly orchestrating a politically motivated fake attack on herself, according to court documents.
Natalie Green, a former law student known for driving a Maserati, was charged last month following an incident where she claimed to be assaulted by attackers who held her at gunpoint, inflicted injuries, and wrote “Trump whore” on her body.
Prosecutors contend that the 26-year-old, who worked for Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.), actually hired a body modification artist to inflict the wounds seen on her face, neck, chest, shoulders, and abdomen. This alleged staged attack occurred on July 23 at the Egg Harbor Township Conservation Area.
She was initially released on a $200,000 bail with an ankle bracelet for GPS monitoring, but on November 26, Camden U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Paschall required her to report for removal of the tracker while receiving hospital treatment.
In her order, Judge Paschall noted that Pretrial Services had recommended Greene’s residential treatment, which her attorney concurred with.
Allegations suggest that Green, a resident of Ocean City and former Rutgers Law student, traveled to Pennsylvania shortly before the attack to pay a body artist $500 for the purpose of creating the injuries. On the day of the incident, she reportedly had a friend contact 911, falsely claiming she had been assaulted by three men targeting her because of her association with Van Drew.
When authorities located her, she was found on the ground, bound with zip ties, her shirt pulled over her head, and injuries evident on her body.
Green asserted that at least one of her supposed attackers had brandished a gun and threatened to shoot her. A significant clue for investigators was the discovery of zip ties in her Maserati SUV. Prosecutors noted inconsistencies in the narratives provided by her and her co-defendants.
Green faces charges of conspiracy to make false statements and providing false information to federal law enforcement. If found guilty on both counts, she could face up to a decade in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Her attorney, Louis Barbone, previously asserted that Greene is “presumed innocent.” There was no immediate comment from the New Jersey State Attorney’s Office or Bourbon as of Wednesday morning.
