Laura Owens pleads guilty to four felonies in “Bachelor” fraud case with 10 counts dismissed

Laura Michelle Owens, the Scottsdale woman charged with 14 felonies after prosecutors said she faked pregnancies involving two men, including former “Bachelor” star Clayton Echard, pleaded guilty Friday to four counts under a deal that will dismiss the remaining 10.

Owens, 35, entered her pleas during a settlement conference in Maricopa County Superior Court. She pleaded guilty to two counts of fraudulent schemes and artifices, both felonies. She also pleaded guilty to one count of perjury and one count of taking the identity of another.

The first two charges stem from conduct between May 2023 and June 2024 involving Echard, the Season 26 lead of ABC’s “The Bachelor.”

The second pair relates to a separate matter involving Gregory Gillespie, a man Owens briefly dated in 2021. The connection between the two cases surfaced in part because both men shared the same family law attorney, Scottsdale lawyer Gregg Woodnick.

Prosecutors alleged Owens altered an ultrasound image, faked a pregnancy video and lied under oath during civil paternity proceedings. The family court judge referred the case for criminal investigation after Owens dropped her paternity claim and said she had miscarried.

The case drew enormous public interest, fueled by Echard’s celebrity and a sprawling online community that tracked every court filing. The true-crime podcast “Love Trapped,” which chronicled the saga, reached the top of Apple’s podcast series chart.

Under the plea, count 1 carries no sentencing agreement, meaning the judge can impose anything from probation to 12.5 years in prison. The remaining three counts call for probation.

Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 23.

KTAR News Senior Editor Kevin Stone contributed to this report.

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