Ex‑GOP Aide’s Alleged Hoax Meets Real‑World Drama: She’s Dating a Career Criminal

In a twist that feels ripped from a tabloid, the former New Jersey Republican aide at the center of a 2025 hate‑crime hoax is now posting selfies with a man whose résumé reads like a crime‑novel. Natalie Greene, who faces federal charges for allegedly fabricating an assault that left the words “Trump whore” carved into her skin, appears to be dating Dylan Wayne Goetz, a 34‑year‑old with an ankle monitor and convictions spanning Washington, Oregon and Florida.

Sources close to the pair told The Post that the couple met on the dating app Hinge and quickly went public, swapping a Fourth of July selfie that shows Greene smiling beside Goetz’s heavily tattooed arms. The photo, posted on Greene’s Facebook profile, has sparked a flurry of speculation about how a woman accused of a political stunt could end up with a career criminal.

Goetz’s criminal history is, frankly, extensive. Court records show arrests as far back as 2010 for possession of fentanyl, burglary, grand theft and even money‑laundering. He spent two years behind bars in Oregon from 2018 to 2020, and most recently, in July 2022, he was charged in Florida with burglary and second‑degree grand theft after allegedly breaking into a home and walking off with a safe worth more than $10,000, including a Rolex watch.

“He stole a safe, called his dealer for a ride, and then left his phone at the scene,” one insider—who asked to remain unnamed—explained. “That’s basically how the police caught up with him.” Goetz has pleaded not guilty and, since August 2025, has been living in a drug‑abuse treatment facility in Oakland Park while wearing an ankle monitor. He is scheduled to appear in court again in October.

Greene’s alleged hoax, filed as a federal conspiracy charge, centers on a claim she was attacked by three masked gunmen in Egg Harbor Township on July 23, 2025. She told investigators the assault was politically motivated because she worked for Rep. Jeff Van Drew, the former Democrat who switched parties in 2020. Prosecutors say she instead fabricated the slashes and the hateful graffiti on her body to garner attention.

After being released on supervised bail in January, Greene was taken in by a former childhood campmate, Kristin Haughton James, in Florida. Their arrangement quickly soured, with James accusing Greene of creating “chaos incarnate,” threatening her with a gun, and even trying to have her evicted. James says Greene left her home a wreck and allegedly made false drug‑dealing accusations to the police.

Before moving in with James, Greene reportedly bounced between two other guardians, including her own mother, and was ordered to attend inpatient treatment. At the moment, it’s unclear exactly where she is staying now, though a source says she may have an apartment in Pompano Beach.

Attempts to reach attorneys for both Greene and Goetz have so far been unsuccessful. Whether their budding relationship will survive the legal maelstrom remains to be seen, but for now the saga adds another layer of intrigue to a story that already feels like a political thriller turned reality show.