Comedian Carlos Mencia has entered a plea of not guilty to 12 felony charges related to tax evasion allegations. According to the charges, Mencia did not report or pay taxes on earnings exceeding $8 million. The 58-year-old appeared in court in Los Angeles, where a judge lowered his bail from $250,000 to $50,000.
Mencia had been incarcerated since his arrest on Thursday but has now posted bail. However, it’s unclear if he has been released. Attempts to reach his attorney for a comment were unsuccessful. Mencia faces six felony charges for not filing personal income tax from 2019 to 2024, along with six similar charges for corporate taxes.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman labeled Mencia as a major tax offender, noting the comedian owes over $300,000 in state taxes based on income of $8.7 million. A conviction on all 12 counts could result in a prison sentence exceeding 11 years. The charges are among the first pursued by the district attorney’s new Business Tax Fraud Unit, which launched in May.
“Carlos Mencia owes more than $300,000 in state taxes,” District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated.
Born Ned Arnel Holness in Honduras, Mencia was raised in East Los Angeles. He began his comedy career in LA clubs in the late 1980s. By the early 2000s, Mencia achieved significant popularity, both as a stand-up comedian and an actor in film and television. His TV show, “Mind of Mencia,” ran on Comedy Central from 2005 to 2008.
Mencia continues to perform stand-up, touring clubs and small theaters. His recent legal issues caused him to miss several performances in Southern California.