The former mayor of Baltimore was slapped with a three-year prison sentence Thursday for a self-published children’s book scheme that she used to funnel money to her political campaign.

Catherine Pugh, whose decades-long political career came crashing down when she resigned in May amid investigations into the book sales, was also ordered to pay more than $400,000 in restitution and to serve three years of supervised release following the completion of her prison sentence.

The 69-year-old Democrat, who was elected mayor in 2016, pleaded for mercy and apologized to anybody she “offended or hurt through my actions,” the Baltimore Sun reported.

“No one is more disappointed than me,” she said. “I did turn a blind eye. I did, and sanctioned many things I should not have.”

US District Judge Deborah Chasanow didn’t appear to be moved by her apology.

“I have yet frankly to hear any explanation that makes sense,” Chasanow said. “This was not a tiny mistake, lapse of judgment. This became a very large fraud. The nature and circumstances of this offense clearly I think are extremely, extremely serious.”

Pugh pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy and tax evasion charges in November stemming from an investigation into her “Heather Holly” series of children’s books.

She had deals with a number of organizations — including the University of Maryland Medical System, where she was a board member — to buy more than 130,000 copies of her books and distribute them to students in Baltimore City Public Schools.

Federal prosecutors accused Pugh of double selling the books and failing to deliver the bulk of them to the organizations.

The feds said she made more than $850,000 and used the money to make straw donations to her mayoral campaign and to buy a new house.

With Post wires