A Seminole County attorney is behind bars after investigators say he tried to engineer a murder-for-hire plot aimed at North Hollywood singer Jack Avery, complete with a staged car crash in Los Angeles and payments hidden under fake “web development” work.
Detectives allege the lawyer, identified as Francisco Gonzalez, funneled roughly $10,000 through an intermediary and labeled the payout as “web development,” according to WFTV. Investigators say the money moved through coded transactions and that parts of the alleged plan stretch back to 2021, during what they describe as a bitter custody fight involving Gonzalez’s granddaughter.
Gonzalez’s daughter, social media creator Gabriela “Gabbie” Gonzalez, was arrested earlier this week in Humboldt County and moved to the Los Angeles County jail, where she is being held without bail, TMZ reports. A witness told police that Francisco allegedly remarked, “it would be cheaper if Jack were dead,” according to the outlet, which also notes that federal and local agencies have been working the case for months.
How Investigators Say The Plot Came Together
Investigators believe the scheme centered on hiring someone to stage a crash that would appear to be an accident, then routing payments through go-betweens, WFTV reports. Law enforcement sources involved in the probe say an undercover federal agent at one point posed as a hit man, and that recorded conversations along with witness statements form key pieces of the case.
Court Timetable And What Prosecutors Are Weighing
TMZ reports that Francisco Gonzalez was arrested in Florida and booked on the allegations. He remains in custody and has not yet been extradited to Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has not publicly outlined specific charges, with prosecutors said to be reviewing evidence supplied by several agencies.
Who Jack Avery Is
Jack Avery is a North Hollywood-born singer-songwriter who gained national attention as a member of the pop group Why Don’t We. Ticketmaster lists him as part of the band’s lineup, and TMZ reports that Avery has previously told media outlets that FBI agents once checked on potential threats to his safety…