Laura Owens, an Arizona woman at the center of multiple fake pregnancy schemes involving former “Bachelor” star Clayton Echard, has been sentenced to 30 days in jail and 11 years of probation.
Owens was sentenced Friday following a roughly two-hour hearing in Maricopa County Superior Court.
Prosecutors, victims Clayton Echard and Greg Gillespie, and presentence investigators had asked Judge Jeffrey Rueter to sentence Owens to a year or more in jail.
Instead, Rueter said he did not believe Owens’ actions were part of a calculated scheme. The judge said he believed Owens was suffering from untreated mental health issues.
Owens also received 12 months of deferred jail time. If she violates probation and it is revoked, she could be ordered to serve that additional year in jail.
Owens was indicted earlier this year on 14 felony charges related to the allegations.
She ultimately pleaded guilty to four charges, including fraudulent schemes, perjury and taking the identity of another person.
The case stems from Owens’ relationships with Echard and Gillespie, whom she met in Scottsdale.
According to court proceedings, Gillespie and Owens had protected sex, while Echard said he had only oral sex with Owens during their brief relationship.
Owens later claimed she was pregnant with twins by Gillespie. She also used an ultrasound image found online and represented it as her own, according to the case.
Both men were involved in family and paternity court proceedings with Owens. Echard and Gillespie have said her actions caused them significant emotional and financial harm.
The case has been ongoing for roughly five years.
During Friday’s sentencing hearing, Owens became emotional and apologized to both men. She pleaded with the judge to keep her out of jail.
The judge ultimately ordered Owens to begin serving her 30-day sentence immediately at the Maricopa County Jail. She is expected to be released two days before Thanksgiving.
After the hearing, Echard spoke about the sentence and expressed disappointment with the judge’s decision. He said he believed the sentence did not adequately reflect the impact Owens’ actions had on him.
Gillespie was also named as a victim in the case.
The case has drawn national attention because of Echard’s previous appearance on “The Bachelor.”
