The man who killed Nicki Minaj’s father in a hit-and-run will avoid a harsh sentence for his crimes.
According to Newsday, Charles Polevich pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of a fatality and tampering with physical evidence on Friday (May 6). Last year, the 71-year-old man struck Robert Maraj in a car while Nicki Minaj’s father was walking in Mineola, New York.
Robert Maraj died from his injuries. Nicki Minaj called his death the “most devastating loss” of her life.
Charles Polevich admitted he fled the scene of the crash and never reported the hit-and-run to police. He faced up to 11 years in prison for his role in ending Nicki Minaj’s father’s life.
But State Supreme Court Justice Howard Sturim declared he’d sentenced Charles Polevich to no more than a year in jail.
“I’m not happy with that … one year in jail,” Nicki Minaj’s mother Carol Maraj said. “I’m not happy with that.”
Robert Maraj’s widow admitted it was upsetting to see her husband’s killer in court.
“I was angry, very, very angry,” she said. “I started to shake because it brought back all the memories of that night when I was sitting in the hospital.”
Charles Polevich will officially be sentenced on August 3.