Boy band singer, Miami lawyer, Hawaiian surf coach and influencer twisted up in wacky murder-for-hire scheme

With a cameo appearance from Dustin Barca!

I was not expecting to have my eyes widen dramatically, this morning, when I began scrolling the news but here we are. So there I was, reading headlines whilst drinking a fine cup of Seavants coffee in my small French tumbler. I ditched the mug, a few weeks ago, and am really enjoying this new sophistication. So there I was, anyhow, when the Los Angeles Times headline reading: Influencer, lawyer and surf coach charged in plot to kill L.A. boy band member.

“Hmmmm,” I thought to myself. “All the ingredients of a BeachGrit story.”

I began to read about the high-powered Miami lawyer Francisco Gonzales, his Instagram influencer daughter Gabriela Gonzalez and the Hawaiian surf coach (or instructor) Kai Cordrey were all charged, yesterday, with conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and solicitation to commit murder. The alleged plot revolved around former member of the boy band Why Don’t We named Jack Avery.

According to the record, Gabriela Gonzales, 25, and Avery, 26, were once in a relationship and have a 7-year-old daughter but now are locked in a custody dispute. Four years ago, Gonzalez told the courts that Avery was “unfit” and “dangerous.” Around that same time, prosecutors say, she began speaking openly about wanting him dead.

My eyes were still relatively closed at this point.

Gonzalez’s dad, the aforementioned high-powered Miami lawyer then allegedly began texting his daughter’s new love interest, the aforementioned Hawaiian surf coach, about recruiting someone to threaten and harass Avery.

Eyes slightly wider, but imperceptibly so.

Avery, the Los Angeles Times reports, decided the “retired MMA fighter” Dustin Barca would fit the bill.

And there we go. Eyes dramatically wide.

Barca, of course, was a fearsome character in our surf world some decade-plus back featuring, lightly, in the best-seller Welcome to Paradise, Now Go to Hell which documented scary nights on Oahu’s North Shore. I spent time with him, after writing the book, during his mayoral campaign days and found him somewhat enjoyable.

Well, the criminal complaint did not accuse Barca of any wrongdoing and, apparently, he did not return the Los Angeles Times’ calls asking for details.

Continuing on, Cordrey then headed to the dark web and found LizardKing69, whom he believed to be a murder-for-hire bro but, as these things often seem to go, was an undercover FBI agent. Cordrey acted as middle man, lawyer-father sent $14,000 to LizardKing69 to get the job started and was promised more when it was done.

But, as already mentioned, LizardKing69 was not about to do any murdering-for-hire. Gabriela Gonzalez was arrested last week in Los Angeles. Francisco Gonzalez was arrested in Florida. Information on where Cordrey is not yet listed but I want more Barca.

Please.