LOS ANGELES (AP) — Comedian Carlos Mencia was arrested on Thursday and charged with 12 felony counts for failing to report or pay taxes on more than $8 million in earnings, prosecutors announced.
Charges Filed Under New Tax Fraud Unit
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman unveiled the charges during a news conference, labeling Mencia “one of California’s biggest tax scofflaws.” The 58-year-old stand-up comedian faces six felony counts of failure to file personal income tax with intent to evade taxes for each year from 2019 to 2024, along with six similar counts for corporate taxes.
According to Hochman, Mencia owes more than $300,000 in state taxes on a total income of $8.7 million. Authorities arrested Mencia at his Los Angeles home around 7 a.m., and he remained in custody Thursday afternoon with bail set at $250,000. He is expected to appear in court for the first time on Monday. If convicted on all counts, he could face over 11 years in prison, plus payment of the tax bills and interest that would nearly double the total amount owed.
These charges represent the first case filed under the district attorney's new Business Tax Fraud Unit, established in May by Hochman, a former longtime prosecutor of tax cases.
Background on Tax Delinquency
Mencia had regularly paid taxes before 2019, Hochman noted. The state sent him 78 notices about delinquent bills, but he did not respond. The charges only involve state taxes; Hochman said the IRS has not informed his office about Mencia's federal tax status.
Career and Controversy
Born Ned Arnel Holness in Honduras and raised in East Los Angeles, Mencia began performing stand-up in LA clubs in the late 1980s. By the early 2000s, he became one of the most popular comedians in the U.S., also acting in film and television. He starred in his own Comedy Central series, Mind of Mencia, which combined stand-up with sketches from 2005 to 2008.
During the news conference, Hochman highlighted a 2007 episode of the show where Mencia said, “Maybe I’m different, but I think taxes are a good thing.” Mencia's comedy often focused on race, class, and Latino culture. His career declined amid accusations from fellow comedians of joke theft, which he consistently denied. In 2007, Joe Rogan confronted him on stage in a viral video. Mencia later discussed the allegations on Marc Maron's podcast, acknowledging he might have absorbed others' material but denying outright theft.
Despite the legal troubles, Mencia continues to perform stand-up regularly, touring clubs and small theaters. He has scheduled a series of dates in Southern California this week and Las Vegas next week.
Mencia has not yet entered a plea, and emails to his attorney seeking comment were not immediately answered.
