TikTok Star Charged in Murder-For-Hire Plot

Los Angeles County prosecutors said on May 19 that social media influencer Gabriela Lauren Gonzalez, her father Francisco Gonzalez and her former boyfriend Kai Faron Cordrey were charged in an alleged murder-for-hire plot targeting singer Jack Avery, the father of Gonzalez’s 7-year-old daughter. Prosecutors said the case grew out of a custody dispute and alleged that the three tried to hire a hitman on the dark web between 2020 and 2021. Avery, 26, is a former member of the boy band Why Don’t We, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. All three defendants were charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation of murder in Los Angeles County case 26CJCF03024. ### Who are the defendants and who was the alleged target? Gabriela Lauren Gonzalez, 24, was identified by prosecutors as a social media influencer who was in a custody dispute involving her daughter and Avery. Francisco Gonzalez, 59, is her father, and Kai Faron Cordrey, 26, was described by prosecutors as her then-boyfriend. Jack Avery was identified by prosecutors as the intended target. (da.lacounty.gov) The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Gabriela Gonzalez was scheduled to be arraigned in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. Francisco Gonzalez was arrested in Florida and is awaiting extradition, prosecutors said. ### What do prosecutors say the plot involved? Between 2020 and 2021, prosecutors said Gabriela Gonzalez sought Cordrey’s help to find someone on the dark web to kill Avery. (da.lacounty.gov) In April 2021, Francisco Gonzalez allegedly sent Cordrey $10,000 as front money to locate, hire and pay someone to kill Avery, according to the district attorney’s office. Two months later, prosecutors said, Cordrey received another $4,000 after the supposed hitman asked for more money. September 2021 became a key point in the case, prosecutors said, when an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a hitman spoke with Cordrey about the alleged plan. Prosecutors said Cordrey identified Avery as the target and discussed payment and proof of death. In a later conversation, prosecutors said, Cordrey told the undercover officer that Gabriela Gonzalez wanted the killing carried out and that Francisco Gonzalez could pay for it. (da.lacounty.gov) ABC News, citing an arrest warrant for Francisco Gonzalez, reported that one witness told investigators Gabriela Gonzalez had repeatedly said she wanted Avery dead and discussed making the killing look like a car crash in Los Angeles. That detail appears in the warrant account cited by ABC News, not in the district attorney’s release. ### What have prosecutors said publicly about the case? (da.lacounty.gov) Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said the investigation began with the FBI and was later turned over to his office. “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,” Hochman said in the district attorney’s release. (abcnews.com) Hochman also said, “This is a case where the defendants are accused of going to great lengths to find someone to commit murder.” He added that the allegations involved a father who “allegedly helped his daughter and her boyfriend break the law.” ### What charges do they face and what penalties are possible? Los Angeles County prosecutors charged each defendant with one count of attempted murder, one count of conspiracy to commit murder and one count of solicitation of murder. (da.lacounty.gov) The district attorney’s office said all three face 25 years to life in state prison if convicted as charged. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott of the Major Crimes Division, and the investigation remains active with the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation, according to the release. (da.lacounty.gov) Prosecutors also said the charges are allegations and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. ### What happens next in court? (da.lacounty.gov) May 19 was the date prosecutors announced the charges, and the next immediate steps were split between California and Florida. Gabriela Gonzalez was scheduled for arraignment that day at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles, while Francisco Gonzalez remained in Florida pending extradition, according to the district attorney’s office. (da.lacounty.gov) Kai Faron Cordrey was charged in the same Los Angeles County case, 26CJCF03024, and further court proceedings will be tracked through the Los Angeles County Superior Court docket and district attorney updates. (da.lacounty.gov)