Jelani Maraj, who has been found guilty of predatory sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child relating to incidents with his stepdaughter, accuses his ex-wife of setting him up.
- January 28, 2020
AceShowbiz - Nicki Minaj's older brother has been ordered to serve 25 years to life behind bars following his child rape conviction.
Jelani Maraj was found guilty of predatory sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child following a 2017 trial in Long Island, New York, relating to incidents with his stepdaughter, who was 11 at the time of the claims.
Sentencing had been delayed after attorneys for Maraj appealed the verdict amid allegations of juror misconduct, but the challenge was dismissed in October (19), and on Monday (January 27), he learned his fate from Judge Robert McDonald, reports TMZ.
Maraj always maintained his innocence, accusing his ex, Jacqueline Robinson - the mother of the girl at the centre of the drama - of setting him up as part of a $25 million (£19.2 million) extortion plot just four months after they tied the knot in a lavish wedding, which Nicki had paid for.
Robinson, who filed for divorce in 2016, denied the allegations in court, where jurors also heard evidence from the victim and her younger brother, who claimed he walked in on Maraj assaulting his sister.
Nicki has never commented on her brother's case, although she initially helped to bail him out by putting up two of her homes for collateral to cover his $100,000 (£76,600) fee.
The "Anaconda" hitmaker was then listed as a potential witness for the defence during the trial, although she did not end up testifying on her sibling's behalf.
