Nicki Minaj’s brother, Jelani Maraj has exhausted his appeals two years after he was convicted of child rape. A Nassau County judge denied Maraj’s request to set aside his conviction and release him on bail.
In November 2017 a Nassau County jury convicted Maraj, 40, of raping his now-former stepdaughter when she was just 11 years old.
His defense team argued that the charges were fabricated by Maraj’s ex-wife – the girl’s mother – to extort $25 million from Minaj, who was an A-list rap star at the time.
The girl testified that Maraj raped her repeatedly between April and November 2015 while her mother was at work.
In his ruling, the judge said Maraj failed to meet the “burden of proof that any misconduct here created a significant risk that a substantial right of the defendant was prejudiced.”
The judge set Maraj’s sentencing for Nov. 18 – nearly 2 years to the day he was convicted.
Maraj faces the possibility of life behind bars.
