California Influencer, Dad, and Ex-Boyfriend Charged in Hitman Plot

A Custody Dispute That Turned Criminal

Gabriela Gonzalez had a daughter with Jack Avery - a singer from the boy band Why Don’t We - and by 2020 their relationship had ended. What prosecutors allege happened next went far beyond a contested custody arrangement.

According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, Gonzalez, 24, recruited her father and her then-boyfriend to hire someone to kill Avery. She was charged on May 21, 2026, with three counts: attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder.

Three People, One Alleged Plot

The accused are Gabriela Gonzalez, her father Francisco Gonzalez, 59, a Florida-based personal injury attorney, and her former boyfriend Kai Faron Cordrey, 26. Prosecutors allege the three worked together between 2020 and 2021 to locate, hire, and pay someone to kill Avery.

According to court filings, Gonzalez used Cordrey to find a hitman through the dark web. Francisco Gonzalez wired $10,000 to Cordrey in April 2021 as upfront payment. Two months later, when the supposed hitman requested more, Francisco Gonzalez sent an additional $4,000.

The money was real. The hitman was not.

The Undercover Officer

In September 2021, an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a hired killer made contact with Cordrey. According to prosecutors, Cordrey told the officer that Avery was the target and discussed both the payment structure and what proof of death would be required.

The case was built from that point forward through evidence gathered during the sting and the financial trail connecting all three defendants. Charges were not filed until May 2026 - approximately five years after the alleged plot was set in motion.

Who Jack Avery Is

Jack Avery is a member of the boy band Why Don’t We, a group that rose to popularity in the mid-2010s with a following concentrated among younger audiences. He and Gonzalez share a daughter who is now approximately 7 years old. Avery has not made public statements about the charges as of this writing.

The case document identifies him as the intended target. That he is alive is a function of the undercover operation that intercepted the alleged plot before any physical action was taken.

Gonzalez’s Public Profile

At the time of the alleged plot, Gonzalez was building a social media presence that would grow to nearly half a million followers on TikTok. She presented herself publicly as a lifestyle and parenting content creator. The charges filed against her describe a parallel private reality.

Her father Francisco, an attorney, is the figure alleged to have provided the financial resources that moved the plot from intent to action. His involvement, prosecutors say, was direct: he wired funds twice with knowledge of their intended purpose.

What Comes Next

All three defendants face up to 25 years to life in state prison if convicted. Arraignment proceedings were underway as of late May 2026. None of the three had entered public pleas as of this writing, and defense statements had not been released.

The case involves charges that are allegations. None of the three have been convicted.

References: Jack Avery: Ex-Girlfriend of Boy Band Member Charged With Trying to Hire a Hitman | TikTok Star Recruited Her Dad to Kill Her Boy Band Baby Daddy, Officials Say | Social Media Influencer Charged in Murder-for-Hire Plot