Daughter of Radio Legend Faces Fresh Felony Charges
Laura Owens, the 35-year-old daughter of San Francisco radio icon Ronn Owens, is confronting new criminal charges in Arizona for allegedly attempting to extort another man using fabricated pregnancy claims, mirroring accusations made against Bachelor star Clayton Echard.
Prosecutors in Maricopa County filed fresh felony charges yesterday, including theft by extortion, perjury, fraudulent schemes, forgery and identity theft. The new case involves allegations that Owens orchestrated an elaborate scheme in 2021 to convince ex-partner Gregory Gillespie she was pregnant.
A Pattern of Alleged Deception
According to court documents, Owens allegedly forged medical records and used ultrasound images from another woman to support her false pregnancy claims. Her indictment reveals she stole the identities of two women - one for the ultrasound images and another for a doctor's note - to present fabricated evidence to Gillespie.
Prosecutors state that Owens threatened to accuse Gillespie of a crime if he didn't provide her with money. This case follows similar allegations involving Bachelor star Clayton Echard, where a judge previously ruled she had falsified sonograms and altered medical records.
Multiple Accusations Surface
Court records reveal Owens has also accused another man, Michael Marraccini, of getting her pregnant last year, though she hasn't faced criminal charges related to those claims. Both Gillespie and Marraccini are reportedly on the witness list for Echard's case, scheduled for trial in January.
Echard's attorney described the allegations as showing 'a serious pattern of fraud - pregnancy fraud - for years'. The attorney characterised Owens's behaviour as 'so egregious and documented' that it demonstrates a consistent pattern of false pregnancy accusations against multiple men.
Last month, Daily Mail exclusively revealed bodycam footage from January showing Owens in an agitated state when police executed search warrants at the Arizona home she shares with her father. In the footage, she screamed about her pregnancy claims involving 'the f**king Bachelor' and identified herself as autistic.
Family Dynamics and Denials
Echard, 32, who was The Bachelor on Season 26 of the ABC dating show and now works as a realtor in Scottsdale, told Daily Mail that Owens's mother, former radio reporter Jan Black, might be 'the driving force behind her daughter's legal issues'. Black has vehemently denied these accusations, insisting her daughter's pregnancy was real and that Laura has been 'tormented' by online harassment.
Black told Daily Mail that both she and Ronn Owens support their daughter's 'version of things' and believe she has been serially victimised by her lovers. She described the prosecution as 'mind-boggling', claiming it's apparently 'the only time there's been a paternity case like this prosecuted'.
Owens told Daily Mail last month that she was unable to comment on the allegations due to her pending court cases, stating she would be 'happy to make a statement once the criminal side of things is over'.
The case has gained significant online attention, particularly after Gillespie and Marraccini established a website named 'Victims of Laura Owens' to present their side of the story. The website outlines what they describe as Owens's pattern of making false pregnancy accusations, coercing men into relationships, and filing orders of protection.
