Overview
- Prosecutors announced Thursday that comedian Carlos Mencia was arrested at his Encino home and charged with 12 felony counts for failing to file personal and corporate state tax returns from 2019 through 2024.
- The DA alleges Mencia hid about $8.7 million in income—roughly $3.3 million personal and $5.4 million tied to his company Nedlos Entertainment—and that the California Franchise Tax Board mailed 78 demand notices that went unanswered.
- Mencia remained in custody on $250,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned on June 22 at the Van Nuys Courthouse.
- If convicted on all counts he faces roughly 11 years in state prison plus repayment of taxes, interest and civil penalties, and prosecutors said they may coordinate with federal authorities given prior IRS liens reported in 2021.
- The case is the inaugural prosecution for the DA’s Business Tax Fraud Unit and officials say it reflects a deliberate shift to target complex, high‑value tax cases that state authorities believe federal enforcement has scaled back.