Laura Owens Pleads Guilty to Faking Pregnancies With The Bachelor Star

Laura Owens, a 36-year-old woman and the daughter of San Francisco radio legend Ronn Owens, has pleaded guilty to an elaborate deception involving The Bachelor star Clayton Echard. She admitted to faking pregnancies that included claims of having twins with the reality television host after a single night together. This confession came on Friday when she entered a plea deal for fraud against Echard and additional charges connected to her former boyfriend, Gregory Gillespie.

The agreement allowed prosecutors to drop ten of her fourteen felony counts in exchange for admitting guilt to two fraudulent schemes, one count of perjury, and one count of impersonating another person. She now faces probation on three counts, while the first charge carries a potential sentence ranging from probation up to 12.5 years behind bars following sentencing on October 23. Her initial indictment occurred in May 2025 for fraud, forgery, and perjury stemming from allegations that she falsified her pregnancy status with Echard.

The legal trouble began earlier when Owens filed a paternity petition in August 2023 at a court in Phoenix, Arizona. She accused Echard of fathering her twins during an alleged one-night stand in May 2023 through June 2024. Echard flatly denied having any children with her, stating they shared romantic contact but never engaged in intercourse. That same month, she testified to being twenty-four weeks pregnant with twins while prosecutors claimed she produced a doctored sonogram and a fake pregnancy video for the court record.

Shortly after appearing before Maricopa County Superior Court on Friday, Owens dropped her lawsuit and stated she had suffered a miscarriage. Her first two fraud convictions specifically relate to the scheme against Echard during that nineteen-month window. The remaining charges concern Gillespie, whom she dated briefly in 2021. Their legal entanglement started when they discovered they shared the same family law attorney, according to KTAR News reports.

Gregg Woodnick, the attorney representing both men, called her admission of guilt a positive step toward acknowledging the harm caused to victims and the community. He expressed deep appreciation for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office and their investigators who worked tirelessly to pursue justice in this matter. Echard previously told the Daily Mail that her pregnancy claims completely turned his life upside down. He described how she immediately became obsessed with him after he ended things, only to then falsify the pregnancy claim.

Echard, a realtor in Scottsdale and a star of The Bachelor Season 26 on ABC, said feeling vindicated when prosecutors charged her last May. In October, he suggested to reporters that Owens's mother, former radio reporter Jan Black, was the driving force behind his daughter's legal problems, though she denied making such accusations. He noted that he did not even really blame Laura for the situation developing this way.

Laura Black sounded cheerful when the Daily Mail called her in Arizona, even as she faced a criminal investigation that has left her unable to speak freely about the case. 'I can't tell you how much I wish I could make a statement to you,' she told reporters. 'And I would be happy to once the criminal side of things is over.' She admitted she had plenty to say, but feared getting in trouble if she spoke out now. Her best option was to go through her mother for comments. Black insisted that her daughter's pregnancy was real and claimed Laura has been tormented online by men's rights podcasters while facing selective prosecution from the state of Arizona.

The controversy began with a casual connection between Michael Marraccini, known as Mike E., and Laura Owens, then identified in reports as Echard. He said Owens first reached out on LinkedIn in May 2023 to contact a brokerage where she was employed. There were no warning signs at the start. 'I basically said sure and we exchanged cell phone numbers,' Echard explained. She started texting him about seeing homes, then became flirtatious and sent a provocative photo that shifted the mood. He told her he wanted her to come over. That night, he was under the influence of marijuana. When he woke up the next day, he felt it was a mistake. He wanted to be blunt and stop leading her on.

What happened next, Echard says, was very eerie. 'I thought she had trapped me,' he admitted before he knew if Owens was truly pregnant. When he gently told her he did not want to date her, she changed completely. 'A switch flipped. It wasn't her there anymore.' She began sending him five or six angry emails per day and sent process servers to his workplace. He also filed to have his Arizona Department of Real Estate license pulled. At one point, he asked her to come to his apartment for a pregnancy test that came back positive. This rattled him until he decided she was taking HCG, a pregnancy hormone sometimes used in equine care, to fake the results.

Documents and photos between Gillespie and Laura allege a disturbing pattern of deception. These include a text thread where she allegedly sent him ultrasounds claiming to be pregnant with twins. Echard claimed Owens started sending those positive tests only after he told her he was not interested. 'She began sending me five or six angry emails per day,' he said, including one that shows the pregnancy announcement photo she planned to post if he did not unblock her. Owens was indicted last May on felony charges of fraud, forgery and perjury after allegedly falsifying a pregnancy with Echard. She was also accused of faking a twin pregnancy and another singular pregnancy after her relationship with Michael Marraccini fell apart in 2016.

Echard's lawyer hailed the conviction as a major victory. The Bachelor star said he is moving on with his life and focusing on his real estate career. He has taken up dancing as a new hobby, which he showcases on his Instagram account. 'I totally compartmentalize that experience,' he says. 'I feel I happened to stumble across one of the most crazy individuals I've ever met.' He added that he will not carry baggage from something previous and does not expect to meet another person like her. Black, however, insisted that her daughter's pregnancy was real and said Laura has been tormented online by men's rights podcasters and prosecuted selectively by the state of Arizona. The Daily Mail reached out to Owens and her lawyers for comment but did not receive a response at this time.