Neighbor accused of breaking Rand Paul’s ribs over yard dispute will plead guilty to felony assault 

A Kentucky man accused fracturing six of Sen. Rand Paul’s 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.

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.

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.

Boucher’s 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.”

“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.

With News Wire Services

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