Carlos Mencia arrested on 12 counts of felony tax evasion in California

Comedian Carlos Mencia, best known for hosting Comedy Central's Mind of Mencia, was arrested on Thursday and charged with 12 counts of felony tax evasion after prosecutors alleged he failed to report $8.7 million in personal and corporate income between tax years 2019 and 2024 — and owes the state of California more than $300,000.

Deadline reported that Mencia, 58, whose real name is Ned Holness, remained in custody late Thursday on $250,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday at the Van Nuys Courthouse.

The charges in detail

Mencia faces six counts of failure to file personal income tax and six counts of failure to file corporate income tax, both with intent to evade. If convicted on all 12 counts, he faces a maximum sentence of 11 years and four months in state prison.

Prosecutors allege the unreported income breaks down as approximately $3.3 million in personal income and roughly $5.4 million in corporate income generated through his company Nedlos Entertainment, of which Mencia is both owner and Chief Executive Officer.

78 demand notices ignored

The California Franchise Tax Board sent Mencia 78 demand notices to his home address during the period in question, each informing him of his obligation to file tax returns and advising him that none had been received, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman's office.

Hochman did not spare words in his assessment of the case. "Mr. Mencia has an income most people can only dream of, and like everyone else he is required to file his personal and corporate tax returns and pay his fair share," he said in a statement.

He added: "Failing to report millions of dollars in income is a slap in the face to hardworking Californians who diligently file and pay their taxes every year because they care about their communities and the public goods, like police, fire, roads, and utilities, their tax dollars provide. Today we are sending a message to the tax scofflaws that it is no longer business as usual in Los Angeles County — the days of a free pass for failing to file returns and pay taxes are over."

A first for the DA's new fraud unit

The case marks the first to be filed by the District Attorney Office's newly established Business Tax Fraud Unit, signalling an increased focus on financial crimes in Los Angeles County.

Mencia's career in brief

Mencia hosted Mind of Mencia on Comedy Central for four seasons between 2005 and 2008, a series that blended stand-up comedy and sketch formats with commentary on popular culture. He also voiced the character Felix Boulevardez on The Proud Family from 2001 to 2005 and reprised the role in the 2005 film based on the Disney Channel series. His film credits include the Farrelly Brothers' The Heartbreak Kid, as well as 29 Palms and Outta Time.