Citrus County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help finding Joseph Kleiber, a 31-year-old fugitive who stands 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 340 pounds, after he failed to appear on grand theft charges. The agency's Wanted of the Week bulletin, filed under reference number 1734, went out this week urging anyone with information on his whereabouts to call 352-249-2790.
The alert, posted by Citrus County Sheriff's Office on Facebook, is the latest chapter in a fraud case that has stretched across two Central Florida counties for nearly a year. Kleiber, also identified as Joseph Luke Kleiber, was first arrested on September 29, 2025, by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office following an investigation into his business, Soothing Waters Spa Repair LLC, on charges of organized fraud, contracting without a license, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device, as Hoodline previously reported.
Spa Repair Scheme Allegedly Bilked Central Florida Customers
Sheriff's investigators found that Kleiber allegedly defrauded hot tub and spa repair customers across both Hernando and Citrus counties out of thousands of dollars, according to FOX 13 Tampa Bay. Investigators say he collected upfront payments, handed out forged documents, and wrote refund checks that later bounced, with individual victim losses ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars. Kleiber operated under multiple business names, including Soothing Waters Spa Repair LLC and Strategic Solutions of Central Florida Inc.
At the time of his October 2025 arrest, Kleiber was already on active felony probation in Wisconsin stemming from prior offenses involving worthless checks, per Tampa Free Press. Whether Wisconsin authorities have since filed a detainer or additional warrant tied to that probation is unclear.
A No-Bond Warrant Predates This Week's Alert
Kleiber didn't simply wait around for his day in court. In June, the Hernando County Sheriff's Office featured him on its own Manhunt Monday bulletin, listing active no-bond warrants for organized fraud, contracting without a license, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device. That posting suggests Kleiber had already begun evading law enforcement across county lines well before Citrus County issued its own alert this week.
Grand theft in Florida is defined under Florida Statute § 812.014 as the intentional, unlawful taking of property valued at $750 or more, with third-degree grand theft carrying penalties of up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, according to George Law. Skipping a court date on that charge doesn't erase the original case — it adds a new one: under Florida Statute § 843.15, willfully failing to appear after being released on bail or pretrial release for a felony is a separate third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and forfeiture of bond, per The Wiseman Law Firm. Contracting without a license — one of the original charges filed against Kleiber's spa repair business — is itself a separate violation under Florida Statute § 489.127, which requires state-issued licenses or certifications for specialized work like the electrical and plumbing repairs hot tubs often need, per Tampa Free Press.
Citrus County's Wanted Program Amid a Persistent Theft Problem
Citrus County Sheriff's Office regularly uses its Wanted of the Week program — complete with physical descriptions, reference case numbers, and photo alerts — to crowdsource tips on suspects who have slipped away from the court system. Past editions have flagged a 30-year-old fugitive and, more recently, a man dodging a meth violation. Property theft remains a persistent local issue: theft was the most common crime reported in Citrus County in 2022, with 626 incidents logged alongside hundreds of burglary and property-damage cases, according to Map AI, even though overall property crime in the county fell sharply by 41 percent between 2021 and 2022.
Tipsters who prefer to stay anonymous can reach Crime Stoppers of Citrus County at 1-888-ANY-TIPS, where information can qualify for cash rewards of up to $3,000 upon an arrest. It also remains unclear whether additional victims across Central Florida have come forward since Kleiber's initial arrest in 2025.
