Comedian Carlos Mencia has pleaded not guilty to a series of felony tax-related charges after prosecutors accused him of failing to report and pay taxes on millions of dollars in income.
The 58-year-old entertainer appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom on Monday, where he formally denied all 12 charges filed against him. During the hearing, a judge significantly reduced his bail from $250,000 to $50,000.
Mencia had been in custody since his arrest last week. Court records indicate that bail has since been posted, although it remains unclear whether he has been released from jail.Prosecutors allege that the comedian failed to file personal income tax returns between 2019 and 2024 with the intention of avoiding tax payments.
He also faces six additional felony counts related to alleged failures involving corporate tax filings during the same period.Authorities claim the alleged violations involve more than $8 million in earnings. According to prosecutors, Mencia owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid state taxes.The case is expected to continue in court as legal proceedings move forward. Neither Mencia nor his legal team has publicly commented in detail on the allegations.
