Jelani Maraj, the brother of Nicki Minaj, is headed to trial in Nassau County, New York, on child rape charges tied to allegations from 2015. Maraj has denied the charges. At a hearing on Thursday, prosecutors told a judge they planned to introduce additional allegations at trial, according to Bossip.
According to Bossip, Assistant District Attorney Emma Slane told the court that the young girl at the center of the case described being threatened and treated violently by Maraj when she refused his advances. Slane said a younger child who witnessed an incident was also threatened. “These children were in fear of him,” Slane told the court, as reported by Bossip.
Maraj’s attorney, David Schwartz, argued that the new allegations should not be allowed at trial. Schwartz said the girl never appeared upset or in distress when she was around Maraj, and he pointed to photos and video as evidence. Schwartz has said Maraj is pleading not guilty and trusts a jury to decide.
Bossip also reported that Maraj faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted, and that prosecutors took a plea offer off the table on Thursday after the two sides could not agree on how much time he would serve under a deal.
Maraj’s trial is set to begin in mid April. The original start date was pushed back after a medical emergency involving a member of the defense team, according to Bossip. As with any criminal case, the charges are allegations, and Maraj is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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