A former staffer for Republican New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew has been charged with conspiracy and falsely reporting to law enforcement that she had been violently attacked with a firearm and branded a “TRUMP WHORE,” Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced Wednesday.

Natalie Greene, 26, was charged with one count of conspiracy to convey false statements and hoaxes and one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of New Jersey, which is part of the Department of Justice (DOJ). Greene made her initial appearance in federal court on Wednesday and was released on a $200,000 unsecured bond as well as “additional conditions,” according to the announcement.

According to the criminal complaint, a female co-conspirator called 911 late at night on July 23 to report that she and Greene had both been attacked by three men when they were walking on a trail at a nature preserve in New Jersey. Greene’s alleged co-conspirator claimed that the men had called Greene by name during the attack and had also specifically referred to her employment to Van Drew.

However, an investigation revealed that Greene had actually not been assaulted by three men at gunpoint in July but instead paid a fetish body artist who specializes in modification and scarification to deliberately lacerate parts of her body based on a pattern that she had provided beforehand. Investigators said that law enforcement officers had discovered black zip ties in Greene’s car on the night of the alleged attack, which bore resemblance to the ties that had been used to restrain her.

The investigation also found that Greene’s alleged co-conspirator’s cellphone had been used to search “zip ties near me.”

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Egg Harbor Township, N.J. Police officers in July had found Greene lying in a wooded area near the trail, with both her hands and feet tied together with black zip ties. Greene had numerous cuts on her face, neck, upper chest, and shoulder.

The words “TRUMP WHORE” were written on her stomach, and the words [Van Drew] “IS RACIST” were written on her back, according to the complaint. Greene was crying and screaming that one of her alleged attackers had a gun.

Greene had also told police officers that at least one of her alleged attackers had also threatened to shoot her. Greene also said that one or more of her alleged attackers had held her down and restrained her movement before cutting her and writing on her body.

“We are deeply saddened by yesterday’s news, and while Natalie is no longer associated with the Congressman’s government office, our thoughts and prayers are with her,” Paxton Antonucci, a spokesperson for Van Drew, told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement. “We hope she’s getting the care she needs.”

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