A female who charged the previous individual
Bachelor
star Clayton Echard of impregnating her has been indicted in
Arizona
on a slew of felony fraud charges after investigators found that her claims were not true and that she had gone to extreme lengths to manipulate him.
Laura Owens, 34, had originally filed a paternity suit against Echard in 2023, seeking child support, alleging that she had become pregnant with twins, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office
stated in a press release on Tuesday.
Echard, who participated as a contestant on
The Bachelorette
in 2021 and then selected to star as
The Bachelor
in 2022, denied Owens’ allegations.
According to the indictment, he said that their short meeting was restricted to oral sex and did not include penetration.
Owens then dropped her claim, alleging she’d had a miscarriage. Her testimony was brought into question by Judge Julie Mata of Maricopa County Superior Court after Owens “made several inconsistent statements during a paternity hearing” involving Echard, according to the indictment.
Fighting back against the ruling, Owens argued that she had provided positive at-home pregnancy tests, a urine test from an urgent care facility and a blood test from a lab, the
San Francisco Chronicle
reported.
She also accused the judge of being influenced by Echard’s celebrity status.
“It seems clear to me that Judge Mata would not have allowed this case to go on if Clayton had not been a former Bachelor star,” Owens wrote. “Because Clayton had a high-profile status, Judge Mata seemed determined to drag this case out.”
However, Judge Mata, having declared Owens’ allegations as fraudulent and unfounded, charged the woman with a history of deceit and subsequently granted Echard reimbursement for legal expenses. The judge also directed the case towards potential criminal charges filed by the county attorney’s office in 2024.
Between May 2023 and June 2024, Owens was discovered to have manufactured crucial pieces of evidence, such as tampering with an ultrasound image and producing a counterfeit pregnancy video. Additionally, she admitted to having made multiple false statements under oath, according to investigators.
Prosecutors allege Owens had carried out a deliberate plan to defraud Echard by faking her pregnancy and this week, a
grand jury
charged Owens with one count of fraudulent schemes, one charge of forgery, four charges of perjury, and one accusation of tampering with physical evidence.
Owens has not made any public statements regarding the indictment so far, but Echard addressed the situation in response to the news.
Instagram
, thanking God for the decision by the grand jury and saying “this nightmare is finally over.”
“He posted on his Instagram reel, ‘justice has ultimately been achieved!!’ He expressed gratitude for everyone’s ongoing support throughout this journey towards obtaining justice. Despite the lengthy and exhausting path, we’ve arrived at our desired destination. From now onwards, expect only celebratory dance moves ahead.’”
In the video, Echard also expressed gratitude to Rachel Mitchell, the Maricopa County Attorney, along with the investigators for “delivering justice.”
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