Nicki Minaj's brother has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for child sexual assault.
Nicki Minaj
Jelani Maraj, 40, has received a prison sentence of 25 years to life, after he was found guilty of predatory sexual assault on a child younger than 13 years old and endangering the welfare of a child.
A court in Long Island sentenced Jelani - who is the older brother of the 'Anaconda' hitmaker - on Monday (27.01.20), with State Supreme Court Justice Robert McDonald making the final decision on his jail time.
At minimum, Jelani will serve 25 years for his crimes.
The sentencing comes two years after he was convicted for child rape, following his first arrest in connection with the case back in early December of 2015.
During his trial, the defence argued that the allegations were fabricated in an attempt to extort $25 million from Nicki - whose real name is Onika Maraj - and it is believed his sentencing was delayed due to post-trial motions submitted by his legal team.
Prosecutors presented evidence at trial showing Jelani started abusing the victim when she was 11, and raped her repeatedly between April and November 2015 while her mother was working.
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 being done to her. She also testified that if she refused his advances, he would physically attack her.
Nicki has never commented publicly on her older brother's case.
Tagged in Nicki Minaj