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Jelani Maraj Convicted For Sexually Abusing Tween Victim

Nicki Minaj’s older brother is set to finally be sentenced in his child rape case – more than two years after his conviction, BOSSIP has learned.

Jelani Maraj is scheduled to go in front of a judge in the sex crimes division of Nassau County Supreme Court Dec. 18 to learn his fate after a jury found him guilty in November 2017 of predatory sexual assault against a child and acting in a manner injurious to a child, according to court papers.

Maraj is facing up to life in prison.

Despite his conviction, the case has languished in legal limbo while Maraj’s legal team tried to get the guilty verdict tossed because of jury misconduct allegations. But according to court papers obtained by BOSSIP, the judge ruled against a mistrial and ordered the sentencing portion of the case to proceed.

Maraj has maintained his innocence up to now, and his defense lawyer argued that the child’s rape allegations were part of a plot perpetrated by her mother to extort millions from Maraj’s famous sibling. We’ve reached out to Maraj’s lawyer for comment.

Cops arrested Maraj back in 2015 after his then step-daughter accused him of sex abuse. At the trial, the girl testified that Maraj raped her up to four times a week after his relationship with her mother went bad.

It’s not clear if the more than two years he’s spent as an inmate in the Nassau County Jail will count towards his sentence.

The Nassau District Attorney’s Office declined to comment.

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