Appearing in a packed Kitchener courtroom Thursday, former Waterloo-based financial advisor Jennifer Killins pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud.

“It was nice to be able to tell her how I feel, how what she did to us has impacted our family,” Jo-An Lauzon, one of more than 20 victims to read victim impact statements in court, told CTV News outside the courtroom.

Killins operated Dollars and Sense Financial Group, which police began receiving complaints about in October 2011.

According to an agreed statement of facts, Killins took out personal loans in her clients’ names without informing, redeemed money from clients’ RRSPs without their knowledge, and fraudulently used one victim’s credit card.

To hide those activities, she created fake financial statements from major financial companies funds were supposedly invested in, even though the companies had no records of those funds ever being invested.

Many clients did receive minor amounts of money from Killins – but while the money was presented to them as interest on their investments, it was in fact money taken from other clients.

The total fraud amounts to nearly $1.5 million.

Records show that Lauzon lost nearly $90,000, with her husband losing a further $32,000.

Their loss wasn’t just financial. They had befriended Killins, and Lauzon ended up working for her for 18 months.

That wasn’t enough to stop Killins from taking their money.

“She cashed our RRSPs while I was working for her,” said Lauzon.

Sentencing is expected to take place in September.