Comedian Carlos Mencia was arrested on June 18, 2026, and charged with 12 felony counts of tax evasion. Prosecutors say he failed to report $8.7 million in income over six consecutive years. He remains in custody as his arraignment is set for June 22.
The charges
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office charged Mencia with six felony counts of failure to file personal income tax and six felony counts of failure to file corporate income tax. Both carry the intent to evade tax as an aggravating element. Each of the 12 counts corresponds to one of the six tax years in question.
According to the complaint, Mencia failed to file any taxes for tax years 2019 through 2024. That is a six-year stretch during which no personal or corporate returns were submitted to the state of California.
The money
Prosecutors allege Mencia failed to report approximately $3.3 million in personal income and approximately $5.4 million in corporate income tied to his company, Nedlos Entertainment, Inc. Mencia is the CEO and sole owner of Nedlos. Together, the unreported income totals $8.7 million across the six-year period.
Mencia allegedly owes over $300,000 in taxes to the state of California. That figure breaks down to approximately $267,594 in personal income taxes and approximately $35,117 in corporate income taxes.
Demand notices were sent repeatedly
The state did not stay silent. The California Franchise Tax Board mailed Mencia 78 demand notices to his residence during this period. These notices informed him of his obligation to file returns and advised him that no returns had been received.
Despite receiving those notices over six years, no returns were filed.
What the DA said
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced the charges. This is the first case filed by the DA’s newly established Business Tax Fraud Unit.
Hochman was direct in his statement. He said 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.
Hochman added that 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 their tax dollars provide.
He also signalled this arrest is a warning to others. Hochman stated that the days of a free pass for failing to file returns and pay taxes are over in Los Angeles County.
Bail and court date
Bail has been set at $250,000. Arraignment is scheduled for June 22 in Department 100 of the Van Nuys Courthouse. Mencia will face all 12 counts at that hearing.
If convicted as charged, Mencia faces up to 11 years and four months in state prison.
Who is Carlos Mencia?
Carlos Mencia, whose legal name is Ned Arnel Holness, is a Honduran American comedian. He rose to mainstream fame through his Comedy Central series. The show, titled “Mind of Mencia,” aired from 2005 to 2008. The programme was known for its sharp, often controversial comedy on race and culture.
More recently, Mencia has done voice work on “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder,” the Disney+ revival of the animated series. Beyond those credits, his public profile had remained relatively low in recent years before this arrest.