A Kentucky man accused fracturing six of Sen. Rand Pauls ribs in November will plead guilty to assaulting a member of Congress a crime carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Dr. Rene A. Boucher, 58, of Bowling Green, Ky., was charged with the felony on Friday for allegedly attacking his neighbor of 17 years over an ongoing yardwork dispute.
Boucher, who admitted the assault, signed a plea agreement, according to a press release from Indiana federal prosecutors.
Federal prosecutors will ask a judge to impose a sentence of 21 months in prison, court documents showed.
Rene Boucher, center, appears in court for an arraignment hearing with his attorney Matt Baker, left, at the Warren County Justice Center in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in November. Image by: Austin Anthony/AP Paul was wearing headphones while mowing his lawn when Boucher grew angry at the sight of the 55-year-old senator stacking brush near his property, the Justice Department said in a statement.
Boucher like Paul, a physician had enough of the Republican lawmaker's perceived slights and ran onto his property to tackle him, prosecutors say.
Paul suffered six fractured ribs and contracted pneumonia in the course of his treatment.
Bouchers attorney, Matthew Baker, said the pair had a long-standing dispute over property maintenance. Image by: CNN The attack raised questions about whether the libertarian-leaning Republican lawmaker was targeted for political reasons. But Boucher told investigators that was not the case.
Bouchers attorney, Matthew Baker, said the pair had a long-standing dispute over property maintenance.
He previously said the dispute was sparked over something most people would find trivial.
Rene Boucher who admitted to assaulting Paul, his neighbor of 17 years, signed a plea agreement on Friday. Image by: Warren County Regional Jail via AP Dr. Boucher is a very meticulous sort of fellow, Baker said. He continues to be a very regretful and very remorseful. I know that he wishes that it had never happened.
Assaulting a member of Congress is an offense we take very seriously, said U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler.
Poster Comment:
Antifa yard Nazi, triggered by a brush stack?
He'll probably be sentenced to picking up heroin needles in the park for a few hours.
Department of Justice U.S. Attorneys Office Southern District of Indiana
The United States Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Indiana was assigned the case following the recusal of the United States Attorneys Office for the Western District of Kentucky where the offense is alleged to have been committed.
..... More at link above ^^^