The Tragic Death Of Nicki Minaj's Father Robert Reaches A Legal Conclusion
The tragic story of Nicki Minaj's father, who was killed in a hit-and-run accident in February 2021, was never going to have a happy ending. However, it has come to its legal conclusion with the sentencing of the driver charged with hitting and killing Robert Maraj, who was out walking on Long Island that day.
The driver, Charles Polevich, admitted to hitting Maraj with his car when he pleaded guilty in May 2022, according to the Associated Press. Polevich would flee the scene after the accident without calling 911. Afterward, officials noted he parked the car in his garage and covered it up. For his attempts at hiding the vehicle, Polevich also pleaded guilty to evidence tampering. The judge at the time said Polevich would get his license suspended and would have to do community service, but he also promised that the hit-and-run driver would spend "no more than one year in jail."
Now that the official sentencing has been handed down, it looks like the judge was true to his word — to the disappointment of both Minaj's fans and family.
The driver who killed Nicki Minaj's father was sentenced to one year
At the official sentencing, Judge Howard Sturim kept his promise to Charles Polevich, the driver who killed Nicki Minaj's father, according to TMZ. After pleading guilty to two felony charges — evidence tampering and leaving the scene of an incident without reporting — Polevich could have been looking at seven years behind bars. Instead, the judge sentenced him to one year of jail time, a six-month suspension on his driver's license, and a $5,000 fine.
On Twitter, fans were not pleased with what they perceived to be a very light sentence. "[One year] is ridiculous," one person tweeted. "The system is a joke at this point." Other commenters clearly felt similarly. "One year behind bars, 6 months suspended license, $5,000 fine for HIT-AND-RUN murder of a man!? WOW," someone else tweeted in response to the story. Another person wrote, "One year for a hit and run that cost someone their life, and that the driver continued to try to cover up is WILD. The victim deserves real justice and this isn't it."
Fans weren't the only ones disappointed. At the time of Polevich's guilty plea, Robert Maraj's widow Carol Maraj said she was "not happy," according to the Associated Press, and that seeing Polevich in court left her shaking.