Laura Owens, the Arizona woman who faked a twin pregnancy to pressure former “Bachelor” star Clayton Echard, is headed to jail for her crimes.
Story Highlights
- Owens was sentenced to 30 days in jail and seven years of supervised probation for fraud, perjury and identity theft.
- Prosecutors say she faked an ultrasound and a pregnancy video and lied under oath in a paternity case against Echard.
- She pleaded guilty to four felonies in August, and 10 other charges are being dropped under her plea deal.
- Echard asked for prison and said afterward that “the system failed me.”
- Prosecutors say the ultrasound image she used was stolen from another woman, who had lost one of her own twins.
Judge Jeffrey Rueter of Maricopa County Superior Court handed down the sentence on Friday, October 23, in Phoenix. Owens, 36, of Scottsdale, was punished for a scheme in which she told Echard she was carrying his twins, then backed the claim with doctored images and false sworn statements. Echard was the lead of Season 26 of “The Bachelor,” the ABC dating show. The judge said he would not send her to prison, pointing to her guilty plea, her apparent remorse, her physical and mental health problems, past trauma in her life and the support of her family.
What She Admitted In Court
Owens pleaded guilty on August 28 to two counts of fraudulent schemes and artifices, one count of perjury and one count of taking the identity of another person. “Fraudulent schemes and artifices” is the Arizona charge for using lies and tricks to get something from someone. Perjury means lying under oath. A guilty plea is an admission, so these four crimes are on her record without a trial.
She was first charged with 14 felonies in all. Under the plea deal, the other 10 counts are being dismissed. Seven of the charges came from a second case filed in November 2025, which accused her of faking a pregnancy to target another man.
How The Scheme Worked, According To Prosecutors
Investigators say that from May 2023 to June 2024, Owens altered an ultrasound photo, faked a pregnancy video and lied several times under oath in civil paternity court. An ultrasound is the medical scan that shows a baby in the womb. Prosecutors say the image she used was stolen from another woman, who had lost one of her own twins. A letter from that woman was read aloud at the sentencing.
Echard was not her only target, prosecutors say. Greg Gillespie, a man Owens dated briefly in 2021, said in a statement read in court that she forced him to spend years defending his name and his living. Mike Marraccini, another man named as a victim, said after the hearing that he was “really disappointed in the justice system.”
The Sentence And What Comes Next
Along with her 30 days behind bars, Owens faces 12 more months of deferred jail time starting October 22, 2027, according to reports. Deferred jail is time she may have to serve later, depending on how well she follows the terms of her probation. Her probation bars her from contacting her victims and requires her to finish court-ordered mental health treatment. If she breaks those terms, she could be sent to prison for years.
In court, Owens said, “I pleaded guilty to four felonies, and I am profoundly, profoundly sorry for the pain, distress and expense that I’ve caused them.” Echard did not accept the apology. “Her tears aren’t from empathy,” he told the judge. “She doesn’t feel sorry.” He has warned before that she would do it again, and he told the court, “Laura will not stop until she is removed from her environment.” After the sentence, his lawyer, Gregg Woodnick, said many other victims may not feel they got justice.
Sources:
wtov9.com, people.com, wdam.com, sacbee.com, washingtontimes.com, hollywoodreporter.com, palmbeachpost.com, eastbaytimes.com
