Man Who Killed Nicki Minaj's Dad in a Hit-and-Run Is Sentenced to One Year in Jail

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images; Nicki Minaj/Instagram Nicki Minaj, Charles Maraj

The man who fatally struck Nicki Minaj's father in a hit-and-run accident in New York in 2021 has been sentenced to one year in jail, PEOPLE confirms.

Charles Polevich, 71, was sentenced Wednesday following the death of Charles Maraj, 64, whom he hit with his Volvo on Long Island in February 2021. Newsday and TMZ were first to report the news.

Polevich must also pay a $5,000 fine and will have his driver's license suspended, a spokesperson for the Nassau County Courthouse confirms.

"This is just a tragic situation and a situation which if, I think by all accounts, if [he] had stayed at the scene of this accident, this would've been a civil matter, not a criminal matter at all," his attorney Marc Gann tells PEOPLE. "I don't think he was responsible for the accident, but he was certainly responsible for the conduct after leaving the scene of the accident. And it's my belief and strong opinion that he suffered from a medical issue, I think a heart issue, that resulted in his leaving the scene of the accident and not being able to recall his conduct or whereabouts thereafter."

Nicki Minaj, 39, said shortly after losing her father that his death was "the most devastating loss" of her life.

"Tho I can't really bring myself to discuss the passing of my father as yet; I can say it has been the most devastating loss of my life," she wrote on her website in May 2021. "I find myself wanting to call him all the time. More so now that he's gone. Life is funny that way."

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Maraj died in the hospital one day after the incident, during which Polevich struck him with his 1992 Volvo station wagon as he walked in Mineola, New York. Police later said that Polevich was "absolutely aware of what happened" in the accident, but fled the scene anyway.

"He got out of the car, looked at the deceased, got into his car and made the conscious decision to leave instead of dialing 911 and calling an ambulance for the man. He went home and secreted his vehicle," Nassau County Detective Lt. Stephen Fitzpatrick said at a press conference shortly after the incident.

Polevich pleaded guilty in May to two felony charges, including leaving the scene of a fatal crash and tampering with physical evidence.

He admitted that upon returning home, he hid his Volvo under a tarp. Polevich, who lives in Guam but has a house in Mineola, was eventually tracked down by police who used video footage from neighboring cameras to identify his "distinctive" vehicle.

RELATED: Man Who Killed Nicki Minaj's Dad in a Hit-and-Run Pleads Guilty, Will Get Less Than a Year in Jail

Acting State Supreme Court Justice Howard Sturim told Polevich in May that he would sentence him to "no more than a year in jail," despite the fact that prosecutors had recommended between one and three years, and he was facing up to 11, according to Newsday.

Sturim's promise upset Maraj's wife and Nicki's mother Carol, who reportedly said she was "not happy with" just one year in jail.

"I was angry, very, very angry," Carol told Newsday of seeing Polevich in court, adding, "I started to shake because it brought back all the memories of that night when I was sitting in the hospital."

Carol filed a $150 million lawsuit against Polevich in March 2021, with her lawyer Ben Crump saying at the time that Polevich was "not only irresponsible and negligent, but more concerned about running away and hiding than seeking help."

Gann said in May that he believed his client may have suffered a "medical emergency" immediately after the crash, and said he had insurance and a good driving record, according to Newsday.

"Mr. Polevich's life story is one of helping others which makes this case so out of character," Gann told Billboard. "There are no allegations of substance use or abuse as causative of his conduct and it is our belief that a medical heart issue contributed to Mr. Polevich's conduct. Mr. Polevich could not be more sorry for the loss of Mr. Maraj."