The owner of the Trump Truth Store in Crystal Lake was arrested and jailed following a traffic stop after she failed to appear in court for a traffic case, with her saying she experienced “horrific” treatment in custody.
Lisa Fleischmann, an Algonquin resident, said she was arrested on Tuesday on a traffic arrest warrant and detained in the DuPage County Jail.
She said the incident was the result of an unresolved paperwork issue after she received a citation for driving without a license in late December 2024 that escalated despite her “repeated efforts to resolve it across multiple jurisdictions.”
Fleischmann, who is the owner of the Trump Truth Store in Crystal Lake, said she appeared in DuPage County Circuit Court in September 2025, October 2025 and twice in November 2025 regarding the traffic offense.
Court records show she was also cited for operating a vehicle with canceled, suspended or revoked registration, in addition to the driving while license suspended citation.
Fleischmann said she was directed to clear up a related violation in Rolling Meadows and McHenry County.
Both courts later dismissed the charges, including driving without a valid license, after determining the issue stemmed from a failure to provide proof of insurance, she said, adding that her vehicle registration was later reinstated.
Fleischmann said she returned to DuPage County Circuit Court with proof that the matter had been resolved in the other counties but the judge declined to dismiss the charges.
“He stated he was king of the castle and was not going to dismiss those charges,” Fleischmann said, adding that another judge and the state’s attorney had previously indicated they would dismiss the charges once the issue was cleared elsewhere.
“What would be the point of going back four times if that wasn’t the end plan?” she said. “It’s over an hour drive with somebody who has chronic back pain. Driving is very difficult and exhausting.”
Fleischmann said she never received a certified letter notifying her that her license had been revoked and believed the matter had been fully resolved.
Court records show a court hearing was held in DuPage County on December 2 and Fleischmann failed to appear, with a judge issuing a warrant and prosecutors filing a petition for sanctions.
Fleischmann was arrested on the warrant for failing to appear in court after she finished dinner at Olive Garden with her daughter and a friend.
The traffic stop took place after an officer saw her license plate was bent while she was driving near the former Spring Hill Mall in the West Dundee and Carpentersville area.
Fleischmann was transported to the Carpentersville Police Department and complained that officers had tightened the handcuffs too tightly.
“The pain inflicted was so bad I screamed, and four cops looked at me like I was nuts,” she said.
Fleischmann was transported to the DuPage County Jail where she was held overnight before appearing in court on Wednesday where a judge released her with a new court date.
She said many other people were also in custody for similar situations. “Had I been arrested on a Friday, I could’ve spent four days in jail waiting to see the judge,” she said.
Fleischmann said she saw an eight-months-pregnant woman who had spent more than 48 hours in custody awaiting a judge for missing court for a traffic violation.
“This is petty crime and in my case it was just a paperwork issue,” she said. “It is really unbelievable people are being arrested for a traffic violation and missing court.”
Fleischmann said she is a single mother suffering from chronic back pain with a demanding schedule, including managing her store, which often leaves little time for things like checking the mail.
“Jail is a short-term place for most people who are only charged, not proven guilty,” she said, adding that the jail procedures and treatment of detainees were “horrific” but the jail was clean.
Fleischmann said she received no accommodations despite being legally deaf when she does not have hearing aids.
She also complained that the meal service was served at 4 a.m. and detainees who missed the delivery received nothing until the next meal, which did not conform to her vegetarian diet.
Fleischmann said
Fleischmann has repeatedly made news headlines over her controversial store in Crystal Lake, which sells apparel, cups, mugs, posters, flags and other memorabilia related to President Donald Trump.
A grand opening for the store, located at 829 South Virginia Road in Crystal Lake, was held earlier this month to commemorate the store’s relocation from Huntley.
The new store had temporarily closed in March due to a lack of sales and previously was located at 10890 North Route 47 in Huntley.
The store closed its Huntley location in July after the owner of the building filed to evict Fleischmann from the property in March 2025.
She faced eviction for displaying Trump signs, flags, table chairs, a Trump inflatable and a sign on her trailer outside the store.
The owner said in the eviction complaint that Fleischmann refused to keep her merchandise inside her store despite numerous requests by the landlord and the Village of Huntley.
Fleischmann said Trump triggers people and that is the part she “loves,” saying she does not run the store for money.