A Mount Prospect man on Thursday pleaded guilty to charges of misdemeanor battery stemming from the slap he gave to the back of Bears Wide Receiver Devin Hester in October.
Daniel Rago, 52, was sentenced to one-year of court supervision and must perform 80 hours of community service and complete an anger management evaluation. Had he gone to trial and been found guilty, he would have faced up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.
Cook County Circuit Judge Marguerite Quinn did order Rago to pay the $315 in court costs, said Tandra Simonton, state’s attorney’s office spokeswoman, according to the Daily Herald.
Rago expressed profound regret after the Oct. 14th incident at the Rivers Casino in Des Plaines. He said he was standing in line at the casino when, as it appeared to him, Hester cut in front of an elderly couple. He said he responded in a "parental" way when he expressed his disappointment and gave Hester a "biff on the back of the head."
He said he had no idea that the man he'd slapped was Hester and apologized, offering to donate $500 to a charity of Hester's choice and perform 20 hours of community service on Hester's behalf.
"I messed up, and I apologize for that," he said at the time.
