A social media influencer is accused of trying to hire someone to kill her daughter’s father, Why Don’t We singer Jack Avery.
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A Florida attorney, his influencer daughter and her former boyfriend are facing charges in a murder-for-hire plot that targeted the father of her child in California, officials say.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office says 24-year-old Gabriela Gonzalez, who has over 400,000 followers on TikTok under the name Gabbie Gonzalez, was in the middle of a custody dispute with Jack Avery, a former member of the musical group Why Don’t We and the father of her 7-year-old daughter.
WTSP reports that between 2020 and 2021, Gabriela was accused of seeking the assistance of her then-boyfriend, 26-year-old Kai Faron Cordrey, to hire someone on the dark web to kill Avery, authorities say.
Her father, 59-year-old Francisco Gonzalez, reportedly sent $10,000 to Cordrey around that time as front money to use in locating, hiring and paying someone to kill Avery.
Francisco is a well-known civil trial attorney in Florida’s Seminole County, according to a report from WESH-TV.
Court documents obtained by the news outlet allege that Francisco became “deeply involved” in the family conflict. Witnesses also described the Gonzalez family as “obsessed with having full custody.”
A witness also told the outlet Francisco had previously stated “it would all be cheaper if Avery were dead” and described him as “a major force behind the family’s hostility.”
Investigators say Cordrey requested and received an additional $4,000 from Francisco two months later, after the alleged hit man asked for the additional funds. Several days later, he allegedly requested that Avery be killed within a couple of days.
In September 2021, Los Angeles officials say an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a hitman spoke with Cordrey about the murder-for-hire plot.
Cordrey reportedly told the undercover officer that Avery was the target and discussed payment and proof of death.
In another conversation, Cordrey is accused of telling the hitman that Gabriela wanted the murder to happen and Francisco could pay for the expense.
Gabriela was arrested and appeared in a California court on Tuesday. Her arraignment has been pushed to Thursday, May 21.
Francisco was arrested in Florida and is awaiting extradition to California.
All three suspects face one count each of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation of murder. If convicted as charged, all three face 25 years to life in state prison.
“This was a lengthy investigation that was initiated by the FBI and eventually turned over to our office, resulting in criminal charges being filed today,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement. “This is a case where the defendants are accused of going to great lengths to find someone to commit murder. Most fathers raise their children to respect the law, but here we have a dad who allegedly helped his daughter and her boyfriend break the law in the most sinister way imaginable.”