The neighbor who attacked Sen. Rand Paul in 2017 was sentenced Monday to an additional eight months in prison for the assault.
U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Leitman also ordered Rene Boucher to serve another six months in home confinement after the prison term is complete.
Boucher had initially been sentenced to 30 days in jail, 100 hours of community service and a $10,000 fine for the assault of Mr. Paul, Kentucky Republican.
Judge Leitman said Boucher will receive time served for the 30 days he already spent in jail.
A federal appeals court last year said the sentence was too lenient, giving prosecutors the chance to secure a harsher sentence.
Prosecutors had asked for as much as 27 months in prison for Boucher, citing Mr. Paul’s injuries. Mr. Paul suffered six broken ribs and cases of pneumonia leading to such severe coughing that he had to have hernia surgery.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Shepard said Boucher may appeal the sentence, according to Kentucky news outlets.
Boucher’s lawyer said the original sentence was appropriate and that any additional time would be punishing him twice for the same crime.
During the virtual hearing, Boucher apologized for the attack, saying it “was egregiously wrong.”
“I’m embarrassed. I’m sorry for what [Mr. Paul and his family] have gone through, and I’m sorry to my family for what I’ve dragged them through. I brought on all this embarrassment,” he told the judge.
Boucher pleaded guilty in 2017 to assaulting a member of Congress as part of a federal plea deal. He grew angry and tackled the senator after he saw Mr. Paul stacking brush into a pile on his own lawn, but near his lawn, according to court documents.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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