HERNANDO CO., Fla. — The Hernando County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) said the owner of a local spa and hot tub repair service was arrested on fraud charges.
Deputies said 31-year-old Joseph Luke Kleiber, owner of Soothing Waters Spa Repair, is accused of defrauding multiple people in Hernando County and Citrus County.
Watch full report from Annette Gutierrez
HCSO said an investigation revealed Kleiber operated under the business names Soothing Waters Spa Repair LLC and its parent company, Strategic Solutions of Central Florida Inc. Kleiber allegedly accepted payments for repairs and installations yet failed to deliver the agreed-upon services or products.
Victims said Kleiber gave false documentation to appear credible and, in some instances, issued refund checks that were invalid or drawn from closed accounts, per the report.
Several victims spoke with Tampa Bay 28 reporter Annette Gutierrez saying they are mad, frustrated, and hurt.
"His mug shot looks terrible, but he's very charming, he’s very engaging," said Teresa Keith, a fraud victim out of Hernando County.
Keith and Jennifer Ouellette, of Citrus County, said they thought he was someone they could trust.
"[I was] completely scammed, because I considered him a friend," said Ouellette.
"I was very sick, I didn't sleep at night," said Keith.
Investigators said they also found that Kleiber was not properly licensed or certified to perform work on certain spas and hot tubs that require a license under Florida Statute 489.127.
Keith shared video with Tampa Bay 28 showing Kleiber appearing to do repairs to her hot tub that she claims were never completed.
"So, I got suspicious when it was that it was week after week after week, delay, delay, delay," said Keith.
These victims said Kleiber had a good act.
"He's very personable — he just kind of feeds into what is going on in your life," said Keith.
Ouellette said she found him on Facebook Marketplace, and immediately began to trust him.
"He told me that he was a pastor in his church and he was part of the food pantry and part of hospice ministry," said Ouellette.
Ouellette said she ultimately lost around $500, plus three hot tubs from her vacation rentals.
"He took parts out of both of my hot tubs, he gave me blow up hot tubs as temporary fix — never returned the parts, so I had two shells that I ended up just giving away," said Ouellette. "I paid for a hot tub cover, never got it."
And Keith said she lost nearly $4000 to him, when she reached out to Kleiber after another business had referred her.
"I would have never trusted him as much if I hadn't gotten the card from Pinch A Penny," said Keith. "He got $3760 and he charged $5000 to my credit card three times."
Bryan Oglesby with the Better Business Bureau said professional scammers know how to play into your emotions.
"Someone taking advantage of consumers can be anyone," said Oglesby." "The big red flags are high-pressure sales tactics, giving you a deal to act now, asking for cash payment up front."
Both ladies said they received one excuse after another, with apparent fake voicemails to Keith and long text messages to Ouellette.
Ouellette shared one text she said she received from Keliber with Tampa Bay 28, that said in part, "My mental health has been in absolute shambles for the past month to the point of almost crippling me with anxiety...”
Ouellette said she ended up getting $950 back from Kleiber but Keith said she never got anything back.
Keith said Kleiber gave her a $1000 check that bounced.
"I mean it was just lie after lie after lie," said Keith.
Oglesby advises people to vet every contractor.
"Do some homework and research," said Oglesby. "If this gentleman had past track record, simply researching his name, adding the word scam or complaint after it, would find that information on the internet."
Kleiber is also facing a felony probation in Wisconsin accused of issuing bad checks.
In this recent incident, Kleiber was arrested and charged with organized fraud, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and contracting without a license.
Tampa Bay 28 is showing Kleiber's mugshot since deputies are searching for more victims.
Anyone who believes they may have been victimized is urged to contact HCSO immediately.
Hernando County Crime Stoppers can be reached by phone at 1-866-990-TIPS (8477) or **TIPS from a cell phone.
You may also submit your tip via the internet at http://www.hernandocountycrimestoppers.com. You will remain anonymous and also be eligible for a reward up to $5,000 cash.
Kleiber's next court date is set for November 3.
This is an active investigation.
Tampa Bay 28 Mugshot Policy
When a mugshot is used
If the person is still on the loose and a potential threat to the community; if there is a good chance that showing the suspect would help identify additional victims or otherwise protect the public from a serious threat or if the crime or the suspect is of such a significant note that seeing them in a mugshot is in the greater public interest.
Using previous mugshots
Only if the story is specifically talking about that previous crime
We do not show mugshots of victims
This policy started in early 2021
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