Comedian Carlos Mencia reportedly issued a not guilty plea to 12 felony charges allegedly involving over $8 million in unreported income in California.
Mencia, who has been in jail since his arrest June 18, appeared for his arraignment Monday from behind glass in a Los Angeles County court’s custody section, according to The Associated Press (AP). He faces six felony counts of failure to file personal income tax with the intent to evade taxes, with each representing one tax year from 2019-2024. Mencia also faced six counts for corporate taxes.
District Attoreny Nathan Hochman alleged that Mencia was “one of California’s biggest tax scofflaws,” claiming he owed over $300,000 in state taxes on earnings totaling $8.7 million.
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 26: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Comedian Carlos Mencia performs at The Ice House Comedy Club on April 26, 2025 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Michael S. Schwartz/Getty Images for ABA)
Hochman, prevously a prosecutor of tax cases, established the district attorney’s new Business Tax Fraud Unit, according to the AP. The charges against Mencia were reportedly the first to be filed by the unit. The comedian faces over 11 years behind bars if convicted on all 12 counts. The prosecution claimed California’s Franchise Tax Board (FTB) sent Mencia 78 notices before legal action was pursued, according to Forbes.
The judge lowered Mencia’s bail from $250,000 to $50,000, the AP reported. Court records revealed that the comedian has posted bail since his arraignment date, although it’s not clear if the comedian was released as of Monday. (RELATED: REPORT: Shakira Cleared In $69 Million Tax Fraud Case)
LOS ANGELES – DECEMBER 4: Comedian Carlos Mencia speaks on stage during Comedy Central’s Last Laugh ’05 on December 4, 2005 at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
Mencia is popular in the stand-up comedy scene and also has some television and film credits to his name. He had his own television series, “Mind of Mencia,” on Comedy Central between 2005 and 2008.
He was forced to miss a series of appearances while he was in police custody, according to the AP.