According to TMZ, Nicki Minaj's brother Jelani Maraj has been found guilty of predatory sexual assault, as well as endangering the life of a child. He is reportedly said to be facing a sentence of twenty-five to life in prison, which is set to begin on December 14th. This verdict comes after an earlier report an earlier report seemed to signify hesitation from one of the released jurors, who claimed there was insufficient evidence to draw a certain conclusion. However, it would appear that the jury decided that the evidence was indeed enough to warrant a conviction, and it looks like Jelani Maraj will be held accountable for his horrible crime.
The trial had lasted nearly three weeks, and Nicki Minaj ultimately never showed up. If you haven't been keeping up with the case, consider yourself warned - the details are disturbing. Maraj was on trial for raping his step-daughter for eight months, after being caught in the act by the victim's younger brother. Examiners eventually found semen samples in the young girl's pyjamas, which matched Jelani's DNA. Maraj's defense attorney David Schwartz accused the case of being fabricated by the victim's mother as an attempt to get money from Nicki Minaj, claiming evidence of a shakedown was "overwhelming."
However, it seems like justice prevailed on this occasion, and hopefully the young victim can rest a little easier knowing her attacker will be spending the rest of his life behind bars. As of now, there has yet to be a statement from the victim's family, or Nicki Minaj. Apparently, Nassau County D.A. Madeline Singas told TMZ that "we hope that today's verdict will help the family in the healing process."
