Jelani Maraj, Nicki Minaj’s older brother, received his official verdict on Monday afternoon following two years of legal proceedings.
Judge Robert McDonald of the Nassau County Supreme Court gave Maraj a sentence of 25 years to life in prison. McDonald initially found Maraj guilty of predatory sexual assault in 2017.
The senior Maraj is accused of repeatedly raping his stepdaughter, age 11, starting in 2015.
According to reports, the victim and her younger brother gave testimony in court. Maraj allegedly threatened to harm the younger brother if he spoke out.
Did Nicki Minaj support her brother Jelani Maraj when convicted?
Later, the younger brother informed the school administrators. The matter has been a contentious one for Minaj supporters.
Minaj previously came under fire for standing behind her brother throughout the trial.
Page Six claims that Minaj addressed a letter to the judge in 2016 asking for her brother to receive a less severe punishment.
Minaj described her brother as the “most patient, gentle, sincere, giving, unselfish man I know” in the letter. Prior to punishment, Maraj’s attorney David Schwartz read the letter in court.
Maraj insisted on his innocence while expressing regret in front of the jury. The unnamed victim claimed in court testimony that the abuse led to her suicidal thoughts.
