An Arizona woman pleaded guilty this week to faking a twin pregnancy and fabricating medical records in a yearslong paternity fraud case targeting former Bachelor star Clayton Echard, resolving a saga that began with a 2023 child-support claim.
How It Started
Laura Owens, 36, claimed in 2023 that Echard had gotten her pregnant with twins and filed a paternity case seeking child support. Echard denied being the father, and Owens later said she had suffered a miscarriage. A judge presiding over the paternity hearing referred the case to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in July 2024 after concerns emerged about the legitimacy of her claims.
What Prosecutors Say She Did
Prosecutors alleged Owens altered an ultrasound image, faked a pregnancy video, and lied under oath during the civil paternity proceedings. Echard appeared on the 26th season of The Bachelor and the 18th season of The Bachelorette.
The Plea
Owens pleaded guilty in Maricopa County Superior Court to two counts of fraudulent schemes and artifices and one count each of perjury and taking another person’s identity. One count carries no sentencing agreement, meaning the judge could impose anything from probation to 12.5 years in prison, while the remaining three counts call for probation. Sentencing is scheduled for October 23.
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