TikTok influencer Gabbie Gonzalez, alongside her father and ex-boyfriend, pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles to charges stemming from an alleged dark-web plot to kill former Why Don’t We singer Jack Avery, as Avery simultaneously pushes back against ongoing custody requests regarding their 7-year-old daughter, Lavender.
The legal fallout from an alleged murder-for-hire scheme has put a dark-web conspiracy directly into a Los Angeles courtroom, intersecting with a high-stakes custody battle over a young child. The case brings together allegations of cryptocurrency-funded surveillance, a family court dispute, and competing legal narratives that are now headed toward a scheduled October trial.
The Arraignment and Not Guilty Pleas
Gabbie Gonzalez, 25, appeared in a Los Angeles County courtroom alongside her father, Florida attorney Francisco Gonzalez, 59, and her former boyfriend, Hawaii surf instructor Kai Faron Cordrey, 26. All three pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder.
The trio faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted as charged. During the arraignment, all three waived a formal reading of the charges. Judge Louis T. Parise Jr. ordered them back to court for a preliminary hearing, setting the next procedural step as prosecutors prepare to present evidence for trial.
Prosecutors Trace a Plot Funded by Bitcoin
The criminal complaint details an alleged plot that investigators say escalated over roughly two years from family court disputes into a funded murder-for-hire scheme targeting Jack Avery, the former Why Don’t We singer and father of Gonzalez’s daughter. According to prosecutors, the alleged conduct moved from efforts to discredit Avery to surveillance, intimidation, and a funded murder-for-hire plot designed to remove Jack permanently.
Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott outlined the progression of the case, which authorities allege began with Gonzalez repeatedly discussing wanting Avery dead between October 2020 and May 2021. Francisco Gonzalez allegedly transferred $10,000 to Cordrey in April 2021 to help finance the operation. Cordrey allegedly moved the funds into a Gemini cryptocurrency account and communicated through a dark-web murder-for-hire account using the alias “LizardKing69.”
Investigators state that on May 22, 2021, Cordrey identified Avery as the target, provided a Los Angeles address, and told the operator that Avery could be killed by whatever method was easiest, including a shooting or staged accident. When another $4,000 was requested the following month, Cordrey allegedly returned to Francisco Gonzalez for the funds and pressed for the killing to occur within 48 hours. The investigation shifted in September 2021 when an undercover FBI agent posing as a hired killer began speaking with Cordrey.
Defense Strategy and Alternative Accounts
Defense representation has signaled that the trial will reveal a significantly different narrative than the one presented by the district attorney’s office. Elliot R. Zarabi, attorney for Gabbie Gonzalez, argued after the hearing that the presented evidence will offer a different account of the events.
Zarabi added that he expects a very different picture of Gabriela and this case to emerge as the evidence is tested in court. In earlier filings seeking visitation, the defense described her alleged role as comparatively limited, arguing that Cordrey handled the primary operational aspects of the scheme and that prosecutors rely heavily on statements from a co-defendant with incentives to minimize his own involvement. The defense maintained that prosecutors presented no direct evidence that Gonzalez personally hired a hit man, transferred cryptocurrency, or communicated directly with undercover agents.
Custody Dispute and Current Status of the Child
Away from the criminal proceedings, a parallel family court battle continues over 7-year-old Lavender. Avery filed a response opposing the TikTok influencer’s request for visitation and video calls, pointing to the existing criminal protective order that blocks contact.
Avery stated in court documents that there is no emergency justifying changes to the current setup, particularly with their custody case headed to trial on October 20 and 21. He asserted that Lavender is happy, healthy, and thriving in his care, attending school and participating in extracurricular activities after a period of living in fear following the FBI’s initial 2021 warnings about the alleged plot.