LOS ANGELES — Comedian Carlos Mencia is facing 12 felony tax charges, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Thursday.
According to prosecutors, Mencia did not file personal or business tax returns for six years and allegedly failed to report roughly $8.7 million in income, leaving more than $300,000 in state taxes unpaid.
Authorities said the prosecution marks the first case filed by the district attorney’s newly created Business Tax Fraud Unit.
Mencia has long been a polarizing figure in comedy. In February 2007, fellow comedian-turned-podcaster Joe Rogan publicly accused him of plagiarism during an onstage confrontation at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles, an exchange that was recorded on video.
During the clash, Rogan derisively called him “Carlos Menstealia” and claimed Mencia had taken jokes from comedians such as George Lopez, Ari Shaffir and Bobby Lee. Mencia later came onstage and pushed back against the allegations, defending himself in front of the crowd.
After the controversy, Mencia’s Comedy Central show “Mind of Mencia” came to an end in 2008 following a four-season run.
According to his IMDB page, Mencia later appeared in the film “Our Family Wedding” in 2010, the TV series “La Chamba” in 2012, and the 2011 comedy special “Carlos Mencia: New Territory.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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