A Florida man, accused of orchestrating a multimillion-dollar pyramid scheme, has been taken into custody after allegedly driving his Rolls-Royce through a barricade and hitting a construction worker before fleeing the scene.

Luis Urdaneta, 64, who co-founded Monat Global, was apprehended at his nearly $7 million residence on Wednesday. The arrest is linked to a hit-and-run incident that occurred on January 9 while Urdaneta was en route to a Whole Foods Market in Coral Gables, according to a report by the Miami Herald.

According to an arrest report obtained by NBC Miami, the victim, whose identity has not been disclosed, recounted to authorities that he was setting up a barricade for a street closure when he spotted a Rolls-Royce attempting to enter the restricted street.

The victim stated that he signaled the driver to turn around, indicating that the street was closed. Despite the warning, the driver continued into the closed area, placing the victim directly in his path.

Coral Gables police reported that Urdaneta deliberately advanced the vehicle, striking and pushing the victim aside.

The arrest report notes that “the victim stated the driver made eye contact with him and gestured with his right hand as if signaling the victim to get out of the way.”

A witness later told police they saw the driver intentionally use his luxury vehicle to force the victim out of his path, and noted that he took pictures of the vehicle – which led authorities to Urdaneta.

The Venezuelan native has since admitted that he was the one driving, but claimed that the victim suddenly jumped in front of him and hit his windshield with an open hand. He also told authorities he left the scene because he was scared, according to the arrest report. 

Luis Urdaneta, 64, co-founder of Monat Global, has been arrested for allegedly ramming his Rolls Royce through a barricade – and directly into a construction worker before fleeing the scene

Urdaneta admitted to authorities that he was the one driving, but claimed that the victim suddenly jumped in front of him and hit his windshield with an open hand

But this is not the first time Urdaneta has faced legal issues as he tries to market himself as a self-made man who started a successful multi-level marketing company known for selling hair, skincare, and wellness products over social media.

He describes himself on the Monat Global website as a ‘first-generation, direct sales entrepreneur’ who ‘quickly worked his way to the top.’

His website then goes on to say that after running a successful direct-selling business in Latin America, he and his son, Rayner Urdaneta, co-founded the Alcora Group, which later became the parent company of Monat.

Together, they then launched Monat in October 2014, promising ‘premium products and a rewarding opportunity,’ as the beauty company aimed to help people ‘make the world a better place, one person at a time.’

Within three years, the company climbed to the industry’s Global Top 100 list, which also includes companies like Mary Kay and Avon. 

Monat now lists multiple Urdaneta family members in leadership roles, including Rayner as the CEO, Luis as the chairperson and his wife, Leudin Petit Urdaneta, as the ‘chief culture officer,’ with whom he lives in a $6.5 million, seven-bedroom, eight-bathroom home.

Amid his success, Urdaneta released a memoir in 2024 entitled ‘Rebel Leadership: Why It Pays to Break the Rules to Be Successful in Business and in Life.’

In the book, Urdaneta describes himself as a Venezuelan-born entrepreneur who grew up poor, lacked a high school diploma and built a near billion-dollar business through determination alone.

He also talks about his early success selling Tupperware in Latin America, how he was financially ruined at the age of 39 after he left the industry and made his comeback in direct-sales. 

Urdaneta co-founded Monat Global with his son, Rayner, in October 2014

The company now lists multiple Urdaneta family members in leadership roles, with Luis as the chairperson and his wife Leudin Petit Urdaneta (pictured), as the ‘chief culture officer’

But just four years after the company was founded, it faced a class action lawsuit and even customer complaints filed with the Food and Drug Administration.

Sue Hoffpauir claimed in the suit in Miami federal court, that Monat hair products caused her and many other women extensive hair loss.

Urdaneta has described himself as a self-made man in his memoir ‘Rebel Leadership: Why It Pays to Break the Rules to Be Successful in Business and in Life’

‘Monat knowingly preyed on women’s humble desire for self-beautification through longer, thicker, more luxuriant hair,’ the suit claimed. ‘That simple hope was crushed by the reality Monat delivered: painful scalp irritation and embarrassing hair loss for many customers.

‘To further their deceit, Monat erases all consumer complaints about hair loss or scalp irritation from its website.’ 

The lawsuit further alleged that Monat operates a pyramid scheme, with the Urdaneta family at the top.

Under such fraudulent systems, a business generates revenue not by selling products but instead by recruiting new members who pay to join.

Participants are then promised high returns for recruiting others, but the model collapses when no new recruits can be found, resulting in losses for most participants.

The lawsuit was ultimately dismissed, but the same year it was filed, in 2018, the FDA released a statement saying that since August one year prior, the agency ‘has received and is assessing 199 adverse event reports related to Monat hair products.’

Sources within the agency told ABC 7 New York that the complaints against the company marked the second-highest number of complaints it had ever received for a haircare brand, next to Wen by Chaz Dean, which was also accused of hair loss and for which the FDA had received over 1,000 complaints.

Urdaneta is facing an aggravated battery charge, but was released on a $5,000 bond

The FDA then sent inspectors to the Florida facility where the products are made, and found that Monat cosmetics were being ‘prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with filth,’ WXYZ reports. 

Its report also noted that multiple products were at risk of cross contamination due to open reactor lids and missing protective caps on hoses used to pump the products.

The FDA, however, does not have the authority to recall beauty products.

Amid the turmoil, Monat sent its products to an independent lab that has been used by other labels like L’Oréal and Proctor & Gamble, which found that its products were safe.

President Stuart A MacMillan then attributed much of the company’s trouble to its rapid growth, explaining that the company did not initially have the systems in place to respond to the number of customers or distributors it was receiving.

But years later, in April 2024, MacMillan would file his own lawsuit against the company, accusing it, Urdaneta and his son, Rayner, of orchestrating a scheme to dilute profits and avoid paying MacMillan millions of dollars he alleged were owed to him.

That lawsuit was dismissed in March 2025.

Still, it seems Urdaneta’s legal troubles are not over as he now faces an aggravated battery charge.

He spent some time at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, but was released on a $5,000 bond.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Monat Global for comment.