A woman accused of fabricating a twin pregnancy with former "Bachelor" star Clayton Echard has pleaded guilty to fraud. Laura Owens, 35, entered a guilty plea on Friday to four felony charges in Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, according to the Arizona Republic.
Owens admitted to two counts of fraudulent schemes and artifices, one count of perjury, and one count of taking the identity of another. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors will dismiss the remaining 10 charges against her. These dismissed charges included allegations of forgery, identity theft, theft by extortion, and tampering with evidence.
Despite the plea deal, Owens faces a sentencing hearing on October 23 where a judge will determine whether she receives probation or prison time. For one of the fraudulent schemes counts, there is no sentencing agreement, potentially leading to a prison sentence of between three and 12 1/2 years, with a presumptive sentence of five years.
Legal Battle Unfolds
The legal proceedings began in 2023 when Owens filed a paternity lawsuit alleging Echard, 33, had impregnated her with twins. The two had met at Echard's home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Echard, who was the lead on Season 26 of "The Bachelor," vehemently denied the claims, stating he had never had sexual relations with Owens.
Owens later dropped her paternity claim and stated she had suffered a miscarriage. However, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled in 2024 that Owens had falsified evidence and lied under oath during the paternity dispute. The judge found that Owens had altered or fabricated sonograms and ultrasounds, determining that no pregnancy had been confirmed.
The court ordered Owens to pay Echard's legal fees and referred the case for a criminal investigation. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office subsequently alleged that Owens had altered an ultrasound image, fabricated a pregnancy video, and repeatedly lied under oath between May 2023 and June 2024.
Additional Charges and Plea Agreement
Owens was initially indicted on seven felony charges in May 2025. Months later, prosecutors added seven more felony charges, alleging she had carried out a similar pregnancy scheme involving another man, Gregory Gillespie, whom she dated briefly in 2021. Prosecutors accused Owens of using forged medical records and the identities of other women to support her pregnancy claims, including allegedly using another woman's ultrasound as her own.
The plea agreement resolves the criminal charges stemming from both cases. Owens is expected to receive supervised probation for three of the four charges she pleaded guilty to. She must also have no contact with the victims and will be required to pay restitution, the amount of which has not yet been determined. Echard has previously described the ordeal as a fight to clear his name after the accuser's claims became public.