Teresa Giudice went to jail because she pleaded guilty to multiple counts of bank, mail, wire, and bankruptcy fraud. These charges stemmed from an indictment in 2013 that accused her and her then-husband Joe Giudice of conspiracy to commit fraud over a 10-year period, involving false statements on loan applications, bankruptcy fraud, and failure to file tax returns. Teresa was sentenced to 15 months and served 11 months in federal prison starting in January 2015. The legal troubles also led to her divorce from Joe Giudice.

Additional context reveals that a key factor contributing to her prison sentence was being implicated by Joe's business partner, who reportedly "ratted her out" to authorities. Teresa claimed she did not expect jail time, as she thought she had only signed one property document and was not fully aware of all the consequences. The couple's repeated attempts to hide assets and lying during court proceedings also contributed to the sentencing.