LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office filed criminal tax fraud charges against comedian Carlos Mencia on Thursday. Authorities arrested Mencia at his Encino home at approximately 7 a.m. on Thursday.

Mencia, whose legal name is Ned Arnel Holness, is charged with 12 felony counts. Six of these counts are for failing to report personal income, and six are for failing to file corporate taxes. Prosecutors allege that Mencia failed to report $8.7 million in personal and business income between 2019 and 2024, which amounts to more than $300,000 in unpaid California state taxes. The charges against Mencia mark the first case filed by the office's new Business Tax Fraud Unit.

Mencia is currently being held on $250,000 bail. He regularly filed tax returns prior to 2019, but the California Franchise Tax Board sent him 78 notices regarding unfiled tax returns. If convicted on all charges, Mencia could face more than 10 years in prison in addition to back taxes and interest. District Attorney Nathan Hochman called Mencia "One of California's biggest tax scofflaws." Hochman added, "He is on the California Franchise Tax Board's list of the 500 greatest tax delinquents in both personal and corporate income categories."

Mencia hosted the Comedy Central television series "Mind of Mencia" from 2005 to 2008. His website lists 80 upcoming comedy performances through 2026. Mencia began performing stand-up comedy in Los Angeles clubs in the late 1980s. He was born in Honduras and raised in East Los Angeles.