Windella Sanderson Wells allegedly preyed on vulnerable immigrants seeking legal status.
Bronx, NY – Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced on July 31 that a Queens woman has been charged with defrauding ten Bronx residents of Caribbean descent out of $73,000 by falsely promising to help them improve their immigration status.
“The defendant allegedly targeted vulnerable undocumented individuals who were simply trying to work legally and provide for their families. Instead, she exploited their trust and turned their pursuit of the American dream into a nightmare,” said District Attorney Clark.
Windella Sanderson Wells, 54, of Hollis, Queens, was arraigned before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Raymond Bruce on a 44-count indictment. She faces charges including first-degree scheme to defraud, second- and third-degree grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, unlawful possession of personal information, practicing law without a license, and falsifying business records.
According to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo, “Windella Sanderson Wells posed as an attorney, deceiving Caribbean victims into paying thousands for services that were never delivered.” He described the case as part of a growing trend of “dream scams,” where criminals exploit immigrants seeking legal status.
In an overnight raid, Bronx DA’s office investigators, assisted by HSI New York agents, executed a search warrant at Wells’ residence. They seized $425,000 in cash and thousands of client applications.
The investigation began in February 2023, when HSI New York and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) referred the case to the Bronx District Attorney’s Financial Frauds Bureau. The investigation revealed that between September 2019 and May 2023, Wells posed as a licensed attorney and immigration expert, claiming she could assist undocumented individuals with their applications.
She reportedly demanded exorbitant fees from her victims, including a $22,000 payment from one individual. All of Wells’ submitted applications were ultimately rejected.
The Bronx District Attorney’s office is urging anyone who believes they were victimized by Wells to contact the Immigrant Affairs Unit at (718) 838-7201 or via email at bximmigrant@bronxda.nyc.gov.
Wells has been placed on supervised release and is scheduled to return to court on November 1.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Michelle Milanes and Assistant District Attorney Robert Lindston under the supervision of Financial Frauds Bureau Chief Herman Wun and the Investigations Division’s Denise Kodjo and Wanda Perez-Maldonado.
District Attorney Clark also expressed gratitude to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for their collaboration in the investigation.
Wells is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.