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The man who punched and killed Nicki Minaj’s father last February has been sentenced to a year in prison despite protests from the famous rapper’s mother.
Charles Polevich, 72, pleaded guilty to leaving the scene and tampering with evidence. He was also fined $5,000 and had his driver’s license suspended for six months.
But Robert Maraj’s widow, Carol, Minaj’s mother, accused Polevich of leaving Robert “like a dog on the street” and criticized the decision to give him a short prison sentence.
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“A year? It’s a slap in the face for the family,” Maraj told the judge after the sentencing. Polevich is sued by Maraj for the accident.
Long Island resident Robert Maraj was walking down Mineola Street in February 2021 when he was struck by Polevich’s vehicle.
Rapper Nicki Minaj’s 64-year-old father died after being hit by a speeding driver in New York City, a loss Minaj called “devastating”. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, file)
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Polevich stopped to see if Maraj, 64, was injured. But instead of calling for help, Polevich drove home and covered his vehicle with a tarp — a move prosecutors ruled tampering with evidence.
Polevich expressed remorse for his actions in court, saying he was “heartbroken since realizing the scale of the tragedy”. While Polevich’s lawyer suggested he was not fully aware of what happened in the crash due to an unknown medical issue, Polevich claimed there was no “no apologies” for his actions.
Nicki Minaj attends Met Gala Celebrating Camp 2019: Notes on Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 06, 2019 in New York City.
(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
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The accident was traumatic for Minaj, who called the accident “the most devastating loss of my life”.
Nicki Minaj attends the 2022 Met Gala Celebrating ‘In America: An Anthology of Fashion’ at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 02, 2022 in New York City.
(Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
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“I find myself wanting to call him all the time. Especially now that he’s gone,” the “Anaconda” rapper wrote on her website at the time. “May his soul rest in heaven. He was much loved and will be sorely missed,”
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