NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Federal prosecutors say a former Justice of the Peace in a New Orleans suburb will serve three years in prison for diverting money from a court bank account for his personal use.

  

Patrick Hale Dejean (deh-ZHAHN') was sentenced Thursday. He is the former Justice of the Peace for the Second Justice Court of Jefferson Parish.

  

Prosecutors said Dejean made false statements to a bank to improperly borrow money on behalf of the court, then spent it on himself.

  

A statement by U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph of the western district of Louisiana says Dejean was convicted in February on 13 counts of mail fraud and three counts of making false statements.

  

Joseph's office handled the case after the New Orleans-based eastern district U.S. Attorney's Office was recused.