A Long Island jury convicted rapper Nicki Minaj’s older brother, Jelani Maraj, of raping his 11-year-old stepdaughter in his Baldwin home in 2015.
After a monthlong trial, the panel of four women and eight men deliberated for less than 48 hours before delivering their verdict Thursday afternoon.
An alternate juror who was relieved of service on Wednesday said he would have acquitted Maraj due to lack of evidence.
“I really do think he did something to her, but based on the evidence I just can’t convict him,” Labau, a custodian, said outside the courthouse in Mineola.
Maraj, 39, was arrested on December 1, 2015 and charged with repeatedly raping the then 11-year-old daughter of his wife of 5 months, Jacqueline Robinson.
In his closing arguments on Monday, defense attorney David Schwartz said the girl and her mother conspired to “shake down” Maraj’s younger sister, Nicki, for $25 million.
Schwartz plans to appeal the conviction. Maraj faces 15 years to life in prison.
