Landlord takes $100K in tools while tenant on vacation, claims it was abandoned

A Gillette landlord is accused of taking an estimated $100,000 worth of tools, along with guns, multiple video game systems, and cash while his tenants were on vacation. Joseph Kraemer, 46, has been charged with felony burglary, which could be escalated to aggravated burglary because the allegations include taking firearms, according to an affidavit of probable cause written by Gillette Police Department Officer Chad Trebby.

Over the course of three interviews with police, Kraemer said he was within his rights as a landlord to remove the property because he felt the couple who lived there had abandoned the place. The trouble with Kraemer’s reasoning is that, according to the couple, that’s not true. They were on vacation in Florida visiting relatives and hadn’t given Kraemer any reason to believe they had left. They had been living there for the past three or four years and were current on rent, although they didn’t have a lease and were on a month-to-month agreement.

“Joe stated initially the residence was his and there was abandoned property inside the house that he was cleaning out,” Trebby wrote. “Joe stated he’s been unable to contact the couple and claimed they never ‘formally’ lived there.” Kraemer also said that he had been explicit with the couple from the start that “they had no tenant rights while they were living at the property.” The officer told Kraemer that, contrary to his belief, because they had established residency in the home, they have tenant rights whether he believes they should or not, despite there not being a formal lease in place.

The incident came to light in July 2025 when a son-in-law of the couple went to check on their cats while they were on vacation and ran into someone cleaning the place for the landlord. The son-in-law discovered there was an unidentified female inside the residence who was moving property and cleaning it. She indicated she had been hired by the landlord due to the fact that the current tenants were being evicted and there were new tenants scheduled to move in. After interviewing Kraemer and checking with the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, Trebby verified that no legal eviction process had been filed.

The son-in-law noted about $100,000 worth of Snap-On tools used in the oil field had been removed from a shed. After the couple returned, they put together a more detailed inventory of what was missing, including a number of video game systems, a .45-70 rifle valued at $3,000, a $1,000 Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol, a Trump Tribute Mossberg, a $2,700 Mathews Archery bow, a personal safe with $2,000 cash, the man’s birth certificate, and a prescription of 240 Adderall pills.

Kraemer didn’t deny taking the items, instead justifying his right to do so. He argued that because he had been unable to contact the couple, the property was abandoned and that it was his to do with as he saw fit. He also admitted he had taken the tools as collateral for payment and damages to the residence. After being informed that if he didn’t return the property he could face a serious criminal charge, Kraemer assured police that the property would be returned. While some items were returned, the firearms and several others have not been located, with Kraemer admitting he wasn’t sure where they were because they had been mixed in with his personal property.

Kraemer remains free on a $10,000 cash or surety bond and could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 if convicted. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 30 to determine if there’s enough evidence to support the felony charge. A phone number listed in Kraemer’s court file as a contact number connects to a message that the number has either been changed or disconnected.