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Exclusive | Ex-NJ GOP aide still carries visible scars after she paid fetish artist to carve her up as part of Trump attack hoax

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Exclusive | Ex-NJ GOP aide still carries visible scars after she paid fetish artist to carve her up as part of Trump attack hoax


CAMDEN, New Jersey – The Maserati-driving ex New Jersey GOP aide accused of paying a fetish artist to carve into her skin in a staged anti-Trump attack still bears the horrific scars — even as she’s trying to make a “fresh start” in Florida after undergoing mental health treatment.

Glamorous former law student Natalie Greene, 26, arrived at Camden Federal Court Wednesday in her Italian sports car, wearing a dark green mini dress and clutching a Louis Vuitton bag while sporting an ankle monitor on her left leg – along with the ghastly healed gashes still visible on her neck and jawline.

The Ocean City resident, arrested in November, allegedly paid a body modification artist $500 to slash dozens of gruesome wounds into her face, neck, chest, back, and shoulders with a scalpel on July 21.

Natalie Greene, wearing an ankle monitor, attempts to shield her face with her hands while walking into the courthouse. Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Post

Two days later, prosecutors said she staged a bogus attack at Egg Harbor Township Nature Reserve, claiming three assailants held her at gunpoint, mutilated her skin, and wrote “Trump Whore” on her stomach.

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At a court hearing Wednesday, Camden federal Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Pascal approved Greene’s request to relocate to Fort Lauderdale, where she will live with – and be supervised by – a childhood friend who was previously busted for cocaine and riding an unlicensed vehicle in the streets.

Greene’s lawyer, Louis Barbone, argued that the accused fraudster was desperate to rebuild her life, saying she had struggled to find work due to the case, had received death threats and been stalked online.

“The prospect of Natalie Greene getting a job in this area is slim to none,” Barbone told the judge, adding that moving to the Sunshine State “gives her a fresh start and ability to act normal.”

Greene’s ghastly old gashes are still visible on her neck and jawline. Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Post

He added that despite living with her ex-boyfriend’s mother in what he described as a tension-filled “hell hole,” the former Rutgers Law student has successfully completed her court-mandated mental health treatment.

Barbone said Greene, who has a job lined up in Florida, will continue mental health treatment, stay on electronic monitoring, and follow a curfew when she lives with Kristin Haughton-James, a twice arrested mom of two who appeared in court via video to confirm she can accommodate her former campmate.

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Federal prosecutors argued that the request for Haughton-James to supervise the former congressional aide to Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) was taking her from “the frying pan into the fire.”

Greene claimed three men attacked her at gunpoint, tied her up and carved her with a knife. U.S. Attorney’s Office
Greene was found by police with “Trump Whore” scrawled on her stomach. U.S. Attorney’s Office

“I don’t think it’s a better plan,” prosecutor Patrick Askin said, pointing to the Florida woman’s 2025 arrest for riding an ATV in the street as a “red flag for judgement” and a “lack of respect for the law.”

Haughton-James was also busted in 2013 at age 19 for possession of cocaine, for which she went through a treatment program. She currently uses medical marijuana daily to treat her anxiety and is on probation for her current arrest.

But Pascal found Haughton-James, a waitress, “incredibly credible and forthright.”

The childhood friend agreed to report any violations Green – whom she met two decades ago and later reconnected with on Facebook following her high-profile arrest – assured the court that she “completely understands” her new responsibilities as a legal custodian.

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Greene and Barbone declined to comment upon leaving court, though the latter said he hopes to negotiate a plea deal with federal prosecutors after reviewing the evidence.

Natalie Greene, the GOP aide accused of staging a fake attack, was ordered to undergo inpatient treatment. Facebook / Natalie Greene

The suspected con artist worked for Van Drew’s office while also attending Rutgers Law School at the time of the alleged hoax attack.

Greene claimed three gun-wielding men approached her on the nature trail, hog-tied her with black zip ties, and held her down while slashing her face and body on July 23.

“TRUMP WHORE” and “Van Drew is a racist” were also scrawled on her body with black marker.

Kristin Elizabeth Haughton-James will serve as Greene’s new legal custodian in Florida. Instagram/Kristin

Prosecutors said Greene was taken to a hospital, where she and her accomplice gave police conflicting accounts of what happened and provided faulty descriptions of the phantom assailants.

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Police also found zip-ties stashed in her Maserati SUV.

Greene is charged with conspiracy to convey false statements and hoaxes and making false statements to federal law enforcement.

She faces up to ten years behind bars and a $250,000 fine if convicted on both counts.



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New Jersey State Police rescue bear cub on I-78

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New Jersey State Police rescue bear cub on I-78


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Does a bear get rescued in the woods?

One lucky one in Union Township did.

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According to a Facebook post by New Jersey State Police, “On April 1, at approximately 1:37 p.m., troopers from Troop “B” Perryville Station responded to an unusual call on I-78 East at milepost 12.2 in Union Township: a lone bear cub spotted in a roadside ditch.”

The cub was found alone, and needed help. The officers stepped in and likely saved his life

“Upon arrival, troopers found the small cub alone and in need of assistance,” the post read. “He was safely secured, transported back to the barracks, and later released to the Department of Environmental Protection for proper care. Thanks to the swift response of the troopers, the cub is now safe and receiving the attention he needs.”



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Man arrested in New Jersey after missing woman’s body discovered in Georgia woods, GBI says

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Man arrested in New Jersey after missing woman’s body discovered in Georgia woods, GBI says


A suspect has been charged with the murder of a missing woman whose body was discovered weeks ago in a stretch of Georgia woods.

Authorities say 35-year-old Gainesville resident Loron Spaulding was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals in New Jersey earlier this week.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, officers had been searching for 30-year-old Diaja Benson since she was reported missing out of Dawson County on Feb. 20.

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On the morning of March 13, agents with the GBI, the Cumming Police Department, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources found a body of a woman near Lanier 400 Parkway in Cumming. The body was later identified as Benson.

Diaja Benson’s body was found near Lanier 400 Parkway in Cumming weeks after she was reported missing.

CBS News Atlanta


Authorities have not shared any information about how they connected Spaulding with Benson’s death or if the two knew each other.

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Spaulding remains in custody in New Jersey, facing a murder charge. He will eventually be extradited to Georgia, at which time he will be booked into the Fulton County Jail.

The investigation into the case remains ongoing. If you have any information that could help, call the GBI’s Regional Investigative Office in Cleveland at (706) 348-4866 or the agency’s tip line at 1-800-597-8477.



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Battle of the cinnamon rolls: Jersey City coffee shop caught in zoning dispute

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Battle of the cinnamon rolls: Jersey City coffee shop caught in zoning dispute


A popular Jersey City coffee shop is facing down a zoning complaint that could force them to temporarily shut their doors.

“I think our reaction when we heard of this most recent zoning complaint was just real frustration because we’ve done everything right,” said co-owner of the Hive, Kristin Karotkin.

Kristin and Catherine Willhoit run the Hive together.

They told News 12 they are permitted to sell coffee and baked goods under their current zoning designation, retail.

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However, a nearby neighbor has filed a complaint seeking to have the business reclassified as a commercial restaurant, a move that could require The Hive to halt operations while the zoning issue is sorted out.

“The fact that one person is kind of challenging the way that zoning is interpreted really just feels like a kick in the gut for a business that’s not only beloved here in the neighborhood but has done everything we are supposed to,” Karotkin said.

City officials previously denied the neighbor’s initial complaint, but the issue is now back before the city following an appeal.

According to the appeal, the central issue comes down to one item: cinnamon rolls.

The complaint alleges The Hive is operating a commercial kitchen to bake them on-site.

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The owners dispute that claim, though, and showed News 12 the shop’s oven, the only one on the premises.

“There’s nothing being made from scratch in the back room here,” Karotkin said. “It’s all made off-site and then baked here in our shops.”

Beyond their own business, the owners worry the outcome of the case could have broader implications for small businesses across Jersey City as well.

“A lot of small businesses, if this keeps happening in Jersey City, they’re going to stop trying — they’re going to stop coming here,” Karotkin said.

A zoning board meeting is scheduled for April 9, where officials are expected to make a determination on The Hive’s future.

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