Kentucky man sentenced to 30 days for assault on congressman

A Kentucky man who had “had enough” of his congressman neighbor edging too close to his yard has been sentenced to 30 days in prison after he ran onto Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul’s property and tackled him.

Rene A. Boucher, 60, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Marianne Batanni, sitting by special designation from the Eastern District of Michigan, after he assaulted Paul on Nov. 3, 2017. A statement from the office of U.S. Attorney Josh J. Minkler, who serves in the Southern District of Indiana, said Paul was mowing his lawn in Bowling Green with headphones on when Boucher attacked him from behind, leaving Paul with six broken ribs.

According to Minkler’s office, Boucher witnessed Paul stack brush in a pile near Paul’s property and “had enough.” As a result of the assault, Paul – who is named in the statement only as “the victim” –  subsequently contracted and required medical attention for recurrent pneumonia, in addition to his broken ribs.

Minkler was assigned the case following the recusal of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky, where the offense was committed. The case was investigated by the Louisville office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kentucky State Police.

“The FBI takes seriously assaults against our elected officials, regardless of motive,” said Special Agent in Charge Amy S. Hess of the FBI's Louisville field office. “Today's sentence should send a clear message that there are consequences to such actions.”

According to assistant United States Attorney Bradley P. Shepard, who serves in Minkler’s office and who prosecuted the case as a Special Attorney to the United States Attorney General, Boucher must serve one year of supervised release following his sentence and pay a $10,000 fine. Prior to his sentence, Boucher admitted to the assault but denied the attack was politically motivated.