Nicki Minaj’s brother sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexually abusing children

The brother of rapper Nicki Minaj has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for repeatedly raping his young stepdaughter. The abuse began when she was just 11 years old.

41-year-old Jelani Maraj, the older brother of the “Anaconda” singer, was sentenced on Monday by a court in Long Island, New York. The final decision on his prison sentence was made by state Supreme Court Judge Robert McDonald.

He must serve at least 25 years in prison for sexual abuse of a child under 13 and endangering the welfare of a child.

The ruling came two years after he was convicted of raping his wife’s 11-year-old daughter, Jacqueline Maraj (née Robinson). His first arrest in this connection took place in early December 2015.

During his trial in 2017, the defense argued that the allegations were fabricated by Jaqueline to extort $25 million from Nicki – whose real name is Onika Maraj – and it is believed that the sentencing was delayed due to post-trial motions filed by his legal team.

Prosecutors presented evidence at trial showing that Jelani began abusing her victim when she was 11 years old and repeatedly raped her between April and November 2015 while her mother was at work.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, testified that Jelani called her “his puppet” and said she had “no say” in the things that were done to her. She also said he would physically attack her if she rejected his advances.

According to Jelani’s lawyer, David Shwartz, he will appeal the “excessive sentence.”

“We will appeal this excessive verdict. There was, among other things, clear misconduct by the jury,” said Shwartz pitchfork in a statement.

Nicki has never spoken publicly about her older brother’s case and did not testify as a witness at his trial.

In October 2018, she married her childhood friend Kenneth “Zoo” Petty after being together for less than a year, with Petty’s criminal record raising eyebrows.

He is a registered sex offender in New York State and was convicted of attempted rape in 1995. After serving prison time for that conviction, TMZ reported that he was convicted of manslaughter in 2002 and served a seven-year prison sentence.

If you need help with sexual assault, family and domestic violence, you can call 1800respect on 1800 737 732.

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