Jelani Maraj, the brother of global superstar, Nicki Minaj, has been sentenced to 25 years to life for the brutal rape of his then-underage stepdaughter.
Following his trial back in November 2017, Maraj was found guilty of predatory sexual assault after being charged with repeatedly raping an 11-year-old girl at his home in Long Island, New York. He was also sentenced to 364 days in prison for endangering the welfare of a child.
Prosecutors initially accused the victim of fabricating the story to attempt to extort money from his sister, but DNA evidence soon proved that Maraj was the perpetrator.
In court, Nassau County Supreme Court Judge Robert McDonald blasted Maraj for sexually hos stepdaughter, saying that his “view is that you ruined this child. He continued, “You raped this child. You raped her over and over again.”
The stepdaughter told the courts that the attacks have caused her to become suicidal at times and says that she suffers from anxiety attacks. Maraj tried to plead for leniency, blaming it on his “excessive drinking,” but the judge was unmoved.