Sen. Rand Paul's neighbor to plea guilty in federal assault case

In this Nov. 9 photo, 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. (AP)

The neighbor of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul signed a plea agreement Friday for the November attack that left the Republican lawmaker with six broken ribs.

Rene Boucher, 58, was charged with assaulting a member of Congress and plans to plead guilty as a part of a federal plea agreement and could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if found guilty.

According to Boucher’s attorney, the episode surrounding the attack had “to do with yards and the maintenance of those.”

He added that his client is “very meticulous” about the maintenance of his yard, while Paul takes “a much more different approach.”

Paul was attacked on Nov. 3 while mowing his lawn when he was allegedly tackled by Boucher from behind. The senator’s office has rejected the claim that the attack had to do with a dispute over property maintenance.

Boucher is also facing a misdemeanor assault charge in state court in Kentucky. He has pleaded guilty in that case.

No date has been set for Boucher’s court appearance in the federal case but federal prosecutors will seek a 21-month prison sentence, The New York Times reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.