Laura Owens is due back in court on the morning of Oct. 23 for her sentencing after she pleaded guilty to four felony counts for lying about being impregnated by former “Bachelor” star Clayton Echard and another Arizona man in separate incidents.
She pleaded guilty Aug. 28 to two counts of fraudulent schemes, one count of perjury and one count of taking the identity of another, according to court documents.
The plea agreement does not guarantee Owens will avoid prison.
The parties didn't make any agreement on sentencing for one of the counts of fraudulent schemes, meaning Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Rueter can decide whether Owens receives probation or prison on that count.
If he chooses prison, Owens faces a term ranging from three
to 12 years. The presumptive prison term is five years.
Under the deal, Owens will receive supervised probation on the other three counts. She also must have no contact with the victims and pay restitution for economic losses covered by the agreement. The amount was not yet set.
Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining 10 counts, which included additional allegations of forgery, perjury, identity theft, theft by extortion and evidence tampering.
Guilty plea resolves false pregnancy accusations
The criminal case grew out of Owens’ legal fight with Echard, who disputed her claim that he had fathered twins after an encounter at his Scottsdale home in 2023.
In 2024, Superior Court Judge Julie Mata found that Owens had falsified sonograms, altered medical records and lied under oath during the civil case. Mata ordered Owens to pay Echard’s legal fees and referred the matter to prosecutors.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office initially charged Owens in May 2025 and later expanded the case to include pregnancy claims she made against Gregory Gillespie who lived in Scottsdale when the two dated in 2021.
Prosecutors accused Owens of using forged medical records and the identities of other women to bolster those claims. One claim involved an ultrasound belonging to another woman.
Republic reporter Miguel Torres contributed to this article.
Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at perry.vandell@arizonarepublic.com or 480-341-9433.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Laura Owens awaits sentencing in ‘Bachelor’ pregnancy-fraud case
