Arizona Woman Laura Owens Sentenced to 30 Days in Jail and Seven Years of Probation in Fake-Pregnancy Scheme
A judge in Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday morning, October 23, sentenced Laura Owens to 30 days in jail followed by seven years of supervised probation. Owens, 35, of Scottsdale, had pleaded guilty in a case built on false pregnancy claims against former "Bachelor" lead Clayton Echard and another Arizona man, Gregory Gillespie.
Owens pleaded guilty on August 28 to four felony counts: two counts of fraudulent schemes and artifices, one count of perjury and one count of taking the identity of another. She was originally charged with 14 felonies; prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining 10 counts, which included allegations of forgery, theft by extortion and tampering with evidence. She had faced a sentencing range of three to 12 years, with a presumptive term of five years. According to coverage of the livestreamed hearing, the judge said Owens could face up to 12 years in prison if she violates probation.
The case grew out of a 2023 paternity lawsuit in which Owens claimed Echard had fathered twins after a brief encounter at his Scottsdale home, a claim Echard disputed. In 2024, Superior Court Judge Julie Mata found in the civil case that Owens had falsified sonograms, altered medical records and lied under oath, ordered her to pay Echard's legal fees and referred the matter to prosecutors. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office charged Owens in May 2025 and later expanded the case to include similar pregnancy claims she made against Gillespie, whom she dated in 2021; prosecutors said she used forged medical records and an ultrasound image belonging to another woman to support her claims.
At the October 23 sentencing hearing, Owens apologized to the court, saying, "I pleaded guilty to four felonies, and I am profoundly, profoundly sorry for the pain, distress and expense that I've caused them." Echard also addressed the court, arguing that jail time was necessary and saying Owens would not stop unless she was removed from her environment. According to The Arizona Republic and Fox 10 Phoenix, the case has drawn attention for more than three years and has been dissected in multiple true-crime podcasts.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 位于 Phoenix 的马里科帕县高等法院大楼外墙（资料图），CC BY 2.0，经维基共享资源
