By admin 
HangupsMusic.com – Los Angeles, A California courtroom recently became the focal point of a startling criminal case involving a prominent TikTok personality, her father, and her former boyfriend, all of whom entered not guilty pleas to grave charges. Gabbie Gonzalez, known for her social media presence, alongside her attorney father, Francisco Gonzalez, and ex-partner Kai Faron Cordrey, faces accusations of orchestrating a elaborate scheme to assassinate Why Don’t We singer Jack Avery. The alleged plot, prosecutors contend, involved recruiting a hitman through the clandestine channels of the dark web and was reportedly fueled by an acrimonious and protracted child-custody dispute concerning Gonzalez and Avery’s seven-year-old daughter.
The arraignment proceedings on a recent Monday saw the three co-defendants appear before the court, each currently out of custody under various stipulated conditions. Gabbie Gonzalez, 25, her 59-year-old father, Florida-based lawyer Francisco Gonzalez, and 26-year-old Hawaii surf instructor Kai Faron Cordrey are uniformly charged with three serious counts: attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder. The severity of these charges underscores the gravity of the allegations presented by Los Angeles County prosecutors, painting a grim picture of a family feud that allegedly spiraled into a deadly conspiracy.
During the brief court appearance, Gabbie Gonzalez’s only verbal interaction was a succinct "Yes, your honor," in response to the judge’s inquiry about postponing her subsequent hearing to November 18. She maintained her silence otherwise, refraining from addressing the media throng gathered outside the courthouse. Her legal counsel, Elliot R. Zarabi, later issued a statement to the press, asserting, "There are two sides to every case, and thus far, the public has heard only one. We are confident that when the evidence is presented, tested, and placed in its proper context, a very different picture of Gabriela and this case will emerge." This statement hinted at an impending vigorous defense strategy aimed at challenging the prosecution’s narrative.
In a previous court submission, Zarabi had advocated for his client’s continued access to her daughter during the ongoing legal proceedings, arguing that Gabbie Gonzalez’s alleged involvement was "comparatively limited." He suggested that the "primary operational aspects" of the purported assassination plot were purportedly executed by Cordrey. Zarabi further contended that a substantial portion of the evidence against Ms. Gonzalez originated from statements made by Cordrey, whom he described as a "charged co-defendant, with every incentive to shift blame and minimize his own conduct." The defense lawyer emphasized a perceived lack of "direct evidence showing that Ms. Gonzalez hired a hit man, negotiated a killing, transmitted cryptocurrency, communicated with undercover operatives, or directly engaged in operational planning." This line of defense seeks to distance Gabbie Gonzalez from the more active elements of the alleged conspiracy.
Conversely, Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott, in a July 22 court filing obtained by Rolling Stone, presented a starkly different account. Prosecutors allege that Gabbie and her family viewed Jack Avery as "the obstacle to their desired control" over the child. Bott detailed a chilling escalation of alleged conduct, moving "from family-court litigation and efforts to discredit Jack, to surveillance and attempted third-party intimidation, and ultimately to a funded murder-for-hire plot designed to remove Jack permanently." This narrative suggests a deliberate and calculated progression of hostile actions against the singer, culminating in the alleged attempt on his life.
The legal representatives for Cordrey and Francisco Gonzalez did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s requests for comment following Monday’s arraignment, leaving their specific defense strategies yet to be publicly articulated.
The felony complaint details a timeline of alleged events spanning from October 2020 to May 2021, during which Gabbie Gonzalez reportedly "repeatedly discussed wanting Jack Avery dead." It is further alleged that she enlisted Cordrey’s assistance in this endeavor, with discussions purportedly revolving around the use of bitcoins on the "dark web" and the desire to make the targeted killing appear to be an "accident." This highlights the alleged sophisticated and premeditated nature of the plot.
According to the prosecution’s filing, the alleged scheme took a more concrete form in April 2021 when Francisco Gonzalez purportedly remitted $10,000 to Cordrey, intended for the purpose of locating and hiring an individual to kill Avery. Cordrey allegedly transferred these funds into a Gemini cryptocurrency account, subsequently initiating communications with a dark web murder-for-hire entity operating under the alias "LizardKing69." By May 22, 2021, Cordrey had allegedly identified Avery as the intended target, furnishing a Los Angeles address for his location and indicating that Avery could be killed by any convenient method, including a shooting or a staged incident, according to the complaint. The administrator of the dark web account reportedly demanded an additional $4,000 on June 4, prompting Cordrey to solicit more funds from Francisco Gonzalez. Days later, Cordrey allegedly pressured the dark web contact for Avery to be killed within a short timeframe, further illustrating the alleged urgency and determination behind the plot.
The alleged conspiracy continued into September 2021, when an undercover FBI agent, posing as a hitman, established phone contact with Cordrey. During this conversation, Cordrey allegedly re-identified Avery as the target and discussed arrangements for payment and proof of death. In a subsequent call, Cordrey reportedly implicated Gabbie Gonzalez, stating her desire for Avery’s death and that Francisco Gonzalez would cover the costs. Prosecutors assert that Francisco Gonzalez then contacted the undercover agent, utilizing the password "Bullrun," and discussed a previous bitcoin payment, seemingly confirming his alleged involvement and knowledge of the plot’s financial aspects.
More than a year later, on October 20, 2022, Gabbie Gonzalez allegedly engaged in a recorded conversation with Cordrey concerning the supposed hitman and strategies for "how to respond to the threat of exposure." During this discussion, she also purportedly mentioned her father’s deep involvement, stating that "he had been handling most of it." These alleged interactions provide a crucial window into the ongoing nature of the conspiracy and the alleged roles of each participant.
If found guilty as charged, all three defendants face severe penalties, with prosecutors indicating a potential sentence of 25 years to life in state prison. The legal battle ahead promises to be intense, with both the prosecution and defense preparing to present their cases in a trial that will undoubtedly draw significant public attention, particularly from the fan bases of both Jack Avery and Gabbie Gonzalez.
Days prior to the public disclosure of this extraordinary case in May, Jack Avery had already sought a civil restraining order in Los Angeles County Family Court. In a declaration, Avery revealed that he had been aware of the alleged murder-for-hire plot since 2021. "I was notified by the FBI that a hit man was hired to kill me," Avery stated, recounting the chilling revelation. He detailed how a detective informed him of Gabbie Gonzalez’s arrest on suspicion of attempted murder and her subsequent placement in police custody. Their daughter, he learned, had been placed with a foster family, prompting him to swiftly retrieve her. Avery further claimed that Gonzalez’s relatives had been "relentlessly" contacting and texting him, demanding to know the child’s whereabouts. He also reported that two women, identified as Gonzalez’s friends, allegedly appeared at his Southern California residence, aggressively banging on his door and ringing his doorbell in their search for the girl.
The FBI, Avery stated, had explicitly warned him that "it was not safe" to be in close proximity to Gabbie Gonzalez, and he remained "very aware of the safety risks" whenever he arranged visits with his daughter. Despite these profound fears and anxieties, Avery’s declaration emphasized his unwavering commitment to his child. "I continued to travel to see [my daughter] and had to learn to manage my own fears and anxiety," Avery wrote in his petition for the civil restraining order against Gabbie Gonzalez. "I did so because of how important [my daughter] is to me and out of serious concern for her safety and well-being." This poignant statement underscores the immense personal toll the alleged plot and ongoing legal battles have taken on the Why Don’t We singer, who now navigates the complexities of co-parenting under the shadow of such grave accusations. The case continues to unfold, promising a protracted and closely watched legal saga.
