A California native living in Arizona has been sentenced to 30 days in jail following a years-long legal saga involving fabricated pregnancies, falsified medical documents, and elaborate fraud schemes targeting multiple men.
Laura Michelle Owens, 36, received the sentence in an Arizona courtroom after entering a plea agreement in August. Under the agreement, Owens pleaded guilty to two counts of fraudulent schemes and artifices, one count of perjury, and one count of taking the identity of another. In exchange for the guilty pleas, prosecutors dropped the remainder of the charges against her.
The case first drew public attention in 2023 when Owens filed a paternity lawsuit against Clayton Ray Echard, a former star of the reality television show “The Bachelor,” seeking child support. The allegations generated widespread media coverage long after Echard’s season aired in 2022. Owens eventually dropped the lawsuit after claiming she had suffered a miscarriage. However, a presiding judge noted inconsistencies in her statements and referred the matter to prosecutors in Maricopa County.
Investigators and prosecutors subsequently determined that Owens had altered an ultrasound image, fabricated a pregnancy video, and lied under oath about being pregnant. The inquiry soon expanded to encompass a second man who had briefly dated Owens. According to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, Owens made false pregnancy claims using fabricated documents after that relationship ended as well.
In May 2025, a grand jury indicted Owens on multiple counts in connection with Echard’s case, including fraudulent schemes, forgery, perjury, and tampering with physical evidence. She faced subsequent charges relating to the second man, which included additional counts of perjury and fraudulent schemes, identity theft, forgery, and theft by extortion.
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors asserted that Owens subjected her two victims to what they described as “psychological warfare,” bombarding them with hundreds of text messages to substantiate her false claims. The second victim, Greg Gillespie, had reportedly gone out with Owens three times before ending the relationship. According to court proceedings, Owens reached out to Gillespie 11 days after they had sex, claiming she was pregnant with twins and sending an internet-sourced ultrasound image. Prosecutors stated that Owens told Gillespie he could influence decisions regarding the pregnancy if he maintained the relationship, but that she would carry the children to term if they split up. Gillespie ultimately grew suspicious and discovered the ultrasound image had been downloaded from the internet.
Reflecting on the resolution of the case, Echard spoke on the “Off The Vine” podcast, expressing shock when Owens entered her guilty plea in August. Echard suggested that Owens targeted him due to his public visibility from the reality television program, alleging she had considered focusing on local men with substantial resources. Echard declined further comment via email, while representatives for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office and Owens’ legal defense declined to comment on the outcome.
