Former financial advisor Jennifer Killins of Ontario remains in police custody after having been arrested late last year on charges of theft and forgery.
Killins, also known as Jenn Stokes, appeared in a Kitchener, Ont., court on Dec. 20, 2012 and was charged with fraud over $5,000, theft over $5,000, forgery, attempted fraud over $5,000, uttering a forged document, obtaining a credit card by fraud and possession of a credit card for fraudulent purposes.
Killins is awaiting a bail hearing, which could take some time to arrange due to the complicated nature of the case, says Staff Sgt. Paul Lobsinger, who heads the fraud branch of the Waterloo Regional Police Service. “Because it’s a substantial matter,” he says, “it’s going to take some time.”
The investigation of Killins began in Oct. 2011 after police received complaints from clients about possible cases of fraud. Killins allegedly solicited roughly $1.5 million from 22 people. Of that, $1.3 million is confirmed as a loss, says Staff Sgt. Lobsinger, meaning clients no longer have that money. The remaining funds were either reimbursed somehow, or Killins allegedly attempted to solicit money from a client but was unsuccessful.
In Jan. 2012, the Mutual Fund Dealers Association (MFDA) permanently revoked Killins’ mutual fund licence and she was fined $35,000. That money is in addition to a previous $15,000 fine and $5,000 in costs Killins had to pay as a result of an MFDA hearing in Nov. 2011.
Killins ran a business in Waterloo, Ont. called Dollars & Sense. She is also the author of Finding the G spot: A sassy, sensible, entertaining approach to finance.
A publication ban will be in effect for any evidence presented at trial.