Comedian Carlos Mencia Arrested On 12 Felony Tax Charges

Comedian Carlos Mencia was arrested Thursday and charged pinch 12 felony counts for allegedly failing to study and salary taxes connected much than $8 cardinal successful income, prosecutors said.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced nan charges, describing Mencia arsenic “one of California’s biggest taxation scofflaws.”

The 58-year-old comedian faces six felony counts related to unreported individual income and six much tied to firm taxes from 2019 to 2024.

Authorities allege he owes much than $300,000 successful authorities taxes connected $8.7 cardinal successful earnings.

He has not entered a plea, and an email sent to his lawyer seeking remark was not instantly answered.

Mencia was arrested astatine his Los Angeles location astatine astir 7 a.m., authorities said. He remained successful custody Thursday day and was being held connected $250,000 bail. He is expected to make his first tribunal quality connected Monday. If he’s convicted of each counts he could get much than 10 years successful prison, on pinch paying nan taxation bills and liking that will almost double nan total.

The charges are nan first revenge nether nan caller Business Tax Fraud Unit of nan Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Mencia regularly paid taxes earlier 2019, Hochman said. He was sent 78 notices from nan authorities astir his delinquent bills, pinch nary response.

Born Ned Arnel Holness successful Honduras and raised successful East Los Angeles, Mencia began doing stand-up successful LA clubs successful nan precocious 1980s. By nan early 2000s, he became 1 of nan astir celebrated comics successful nan U.S. and besides did immoderate acting successful movie and television. He had his ain TV series, “Mind of Mencia,” combining stand-up pinch sketches connected Comedy Central from 2005 to 2008.

Hochman pointed retired astatine nan news convention that connected nan show successful 2007, Mencia said, “Maybe I'm different, but I deliberation taxes are a bully thing.”

His drama astir often dealt pinch race, people and Latino culture. His profession took a downward move arsenic he was deed pinch accusations from galore chap comedians of joke theft, which he ever denied, from different comics. Joe Rogan, past champion known arsenic a stand-up comic, confronted him connected a nine shape connected nan rumor successful a video that went viral successful 2007. Mencia had agelong discussions connected Marc Maron's podcast connected nan alleged plagiarism, acknowledging that he whitethorn person absorbed others' worldly but denying outright theft.

He still does regular stand-up shows, touring clubs and mini theaters. He's scheduled to do a bid of dates successful Southern California this week and Las Vegas adjacent week.