Businessman Charles Polevich pleaded guilty to abandoning the scene of a February 2021 collision in Mineola, Long Island, when Robert Maraj was struck by a vehicle. The next day, he died at the age of 64.
In addition to community service and a suspended licence, Judge Howard Sturim sentenced Polevich to “no more than one year in jail.”
Carol Maraj, the victim’s widow, said she was “not satisfied” with the proposed punishment.
Maraj described seeing Polevich in court as “very, extremely furious.” “At sentence, I’ll say what I have to say.”
The driver of a hit-and-run that killed Nicki Minaj’s father in a wreck in a suburban New York suburb was guaranteed a year or less in prison when he pleaded guilty Friday, upsetting prosecutors and the rapper’s mother.
The businessman Charles Polevich acknowledged in Nassau County state court on Long Island that he fled the scene of the collision that killed Robert Maraj in February 2021 as he walked along the road in Mineola.
Officials say Polevich originally got out of his car and glanced at the injured guy lying on the ground, but then drove away, didn’t contact 911, garaged his car, and covered it with a tarp, according to officials. Polevich admitted to tampering with evidence by hiding the automobile and entered a guilty plea.
Maraj, 64, passed away the next day at a hospital.
In addition to community service and a suspended licence, Judge Howard Sturim ruled that Polevich would be sentenced to “no more than one year in jail.” The 71-year-old will be sentenced on August 3, according to court records.
In a statement to the media, the victim’s widow, Carol Maraj, expressed her dissatisfaction with the proposed penalty. The widow, who is suing Polevich for $150 million, said seeing him in court made her feel sick to her stomach because she remembered her husband battling for his life in the hospital, which she compared to seeing him in court.
‘I was very, very angry when I saw Polevich in court,’ Maraj recalled of his reaction to seeing Polevich. ‘I’ll say what I have to say during the sentence hearing,’ I said.
It was also criticised by prosecutors, who were seeking a jail sentence ranging from one to three years in duration.
According to a statement from the Nassau County District Attorney’s office, ‘given the nature of the defendant’s actions, we disagree with the court’s decision to sentence him,’ said Brendan Brosch, a spokeswoman for the office.
Polevich’s attorney, Marc Gann, said the hit-and-run was ‘totally out of character’ for his client, who is originally from Long Island but has a drilling and water purification firm in Guam. Polevich was arrested and charged with reckless driving.
“He feels immense empathy for Mr. Maraj’s family, as well as profound guilt for whatever role he may have had in his death,” Gann said by phone after the court hearing. He speculated that Polevich could have been suffering from a physical condition that prevented him from being ‘completely conscious of what he was doing,’ but stressed that this was not a legal reason.
Polish, who has lived in Guam for many years but has a home in Mineola, initially got out of his car and observed Maraj lying on the ground before getting back behind the wheel and driving to his home, where he parked his Volvo in the garage and covering it up, according to police. Polevich was arrested and charged with murder.
In a blog post published on her website last year, Nicki Minaj described her father’s death as ‘the most heartbreaking loss of my life.’ Messages were made to spokespeople for Minaj.
Onika Tanya Maraj is a platinum-selling and Grammy-nominated rapper who is best known for songs like as ‘Anaconda,’ ‘Starships,’ and ‘Super Bass.’ She was born in New York City and raised in the Bronx.
In interviews conducted years ago, she spoke of having a strained connection with her father. However, she later stated that he had changed.
She wrote on how she wished she could have picked up the phone and talked to him after his death.
‘He was dearly loved and will be sadly lost,’ she added in her letter.
In the 160 block of Roselle Street in Mineola, detectives were able to track down the car that was involved in the hit-and-run incident, thanks to security video from the area.
Officers then gave Polevich the option to surrender at police headquarters. Polevich accepted the offer and left.
A car accident occurred, and he was accused with fleeing the scene of the accident and tampering with evidence.
Polevich would not have faced criminal charges if he had remained at the site and was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident, according to police.
For more information regarding other day to day life news, stay tuned with us on trendingnewsbuzz.com.
