Neighbor sentenced to 30 days for attack on senator
Dispute over yard care erupted into fight, broken ribs.
A neighbor of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was sentenced to 30 days in jail Friday for tack- ling the senator during a dispute over yard care last fall, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
Rene A. Boucher, 60, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, pleaded guilty in federal court in March to attacking a member of Congress for the November 2017 assault that left Paul with six broken ribs and a case of pneumonia. Boucher had faced a possible sentence of 21 months.
Boucher, who lives next door to Paul, charged at the senator and knocked him over after watching Paul stack brush on a pile on Paul’s property, according to court documents. Boucher told authorities he had “had enough.”
An acquaintance of both men said they had disputes over yard care in ye a rs past.
The case drew widespread attention in part because Paul and Boucher initially declined to comment on what sparked the incident.
“No one deserves to be violently assaulted,” a statement from Paul said. “A felony conviction is appropriate and hopefully will deter the attacker from further violence.
“The original 21-month sentence requested would have been the appropriate punishment,” Paul continued. “I commend the FBI and Department of Justice for treating this violent, premeditated assault with the seriousness it deserves.”
Matthew J. Baker, Boucher’s attorney, said his client was relieved to have the sentencing over.
“He is ready to serve the sentence imposed by the judge,” Baker said. “He is looking forward to getting this behind him.”