The owner of a Florida-based spa repair service has been apprehended on accusations of fraud, according to authorities. Joseph Luke Kleiber, 31, was charged following investigations by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office into allegations that his businesses, Soothing Waters Spa Repair LLC and Strategic Solutions of Central Florida Inc., defrauded customers across Hernando and Citrus counties. The WFLA reports that Kleiber advertised various services including spa repairs, parts replacement, installations, and extended warranties on social media platforms.
Customers lamented that they had paid for services that were not delivered, alleging that Kleiber provided forged documents and issued checks from closed accounts, according to details from the Hernando Sheriff’s Office. "In many cases, Kleiber allegedly failed to deliver the agreed upon services or products," the Sheriff’s Office said, causing losses that varied significantly, from a few hundred to several thousands of dollars the WFLA reported.
The situation was further complicated by the revelation that Kleiber was not correctly certified or licensed for certain spa and hot tub repairs that require specific licensure under Florida Statute 489.127. The Tampa Bay 28 adds that despite some hot tub and spa repair work not necessitating licensing, Kleiber crossed the line on jobs that did.
Further compounding his legal woes, it was revealed that, Kleiber is currently on felony probation for related charges in Wisconsin. According to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, the charges against him include organized fraud, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and contracting without a license. As reported by the Tampa Free Press, his arrest took place on Monday, with the announcement of the charges following this morning.
