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By Jenna Sundel
News Reporter
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Laura Owens, who is accused of faking a pregnancy to former The Bachelor star Clayton Echard, was indicted on additional charges related to a second victim on Tuesday.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office cited a false claim of pregnancy to the man, who prosecutors did not name. The attorney’s office said Owens was indicted on one count of perjury, one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, two counts of taking the identity of another, two counts of forgery, and one count of theft by extortion.
Owens is also facing multiple charges after prosecutors said she requested child support from Echard, then dropped the claim, alleging she had a miscarriage.
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"It is great to see accountability will finally be had and the previous victims can finally experience the justice they’ve deserved all along," Echard said in a statement to Newsweek.
A lawyer representing Owens declined to comment, citing Arizona law forbidding extrajudicial statements about ongoing cases.
Why It Matters
Echard told FOX 10 Phoenix earlier this year that he felt “gratitude” after the initial charges were filed against Owens.
“This is the first time that it feels that this is nearing the end. Of course, she still has to face these charges, and maybe she will be able to take a plea deal, but for me and the previous victims, we were overjoyed last night when we heard the news,” Echard told the outlet.
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Owens said in a statement earlier this year obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix, after the initial charges were filed: “These charges appear to be the product of intense public pressure, not impartial judgment. They reflect a system that responded to online outrage, ignored procedural protections, and moved forward based on narrative rather than fact."
What To Know
The newly announced victim began dating Owens in 2021, but he decided to end the relationship after the third date, the district attorney’s office said. Owens then claimed to be pregnant by him, prosecutors said.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said it found evidence that Owens falsified documents to support her claim.
The attorney’s office first began investigating Owens in July 2024 at the request of a superior court judge.
“This came after the defendant made several inconsistent statements during a paternity hearing involving a former contestant on the television program, The Bachelor, Clayton Echard,” the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said in a May press release.
Investigators found that Owens has seemingly altered an ultrasound image, fabricated a pregnancy video and lied multiple times under oath between May 2023 and June 2024, prosecutors claimed.
Owens was initially indicted on one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, one count of forgery, four counts of perjury and one count of tampering with physical evidence earlier this year.
What People Are Saying
Clayton Echard, in a statement to Newsweek: “Laura is a criminal that needs to see serious time behind bars, where hopefully she’ll take time to reflect upon her decisions and grow from them."
Laura Owens, in a statement obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix earlier this year: “As someone who has never been charged with a crime in my life, I am stunned by the seven felony charges announced against me by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. These allegations appear to be the result of coordinated harassment, misinformation, and public pressure in the aftermath of a paternity case I filed against former Bachelor star Clayton Echard.”
Newsweek would like to point out that all suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
What Happens Next
Owens is scheduled to go to trial in the Echard case in January 2026.
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