Comedian Carlos Mencia has been arrested and charged with 12 felony counts for allegedly failing to report or pay taxes on over $8 million in earnings.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges, labeling Mencia as "one of California’s biggest tax scofflaws."

Mencia, 58, faces six felony counts of failure to file personal income tax with the intent to evade taxes, covering the years 2019 to 2024.

He also faces six similar counts for corporate taxes.

According to Hochman, Mencia owes more than $300,000 in state taxes on income totaling $8.7 million.

This development is significant as it marks the first charges filed under the District Attorney's new Business Tax Fraud Unit, established in May.

The stand-up comic was arrested at his Los Angeles home and is currently being held on $250,000 bail.

He is expected to make his initial court appearance on Monday.

If convicted on all counts, Mencia could face more than 11 years in prison, in addition to paying the outstanding tax bills and interest, which could nearly double the total amount owed.

District Attorney Hochman noted that Mencia had regularly paid taxes prior to 2019.

However, he reportedly received 78 notices from the state regarding his delinquent bills without any response.

The current charges pertain solely to state taxes, with Hochman stating that his office has not been informed of Mencia's federal tax status by the IRS.

Born Ned Arnel Holness in Honduras and raised in East Los Angeles, Mencia rose to prominence in the early 2000s with his stand-up comedy, often focusing on race, class, and Latino culture.

He also had his own Comedy Central series, "Mind of Mencia," which aired from 2005 to 2008.

During a 2007 episode of his show, Mencia notably stated, "Maybe I’m different, but I think taxes are a good thing."

Mencia's career later faced challenges due to accusations of joke theft from fellow comedians, which he consistently denied.

A viral video from 2007 showed comedian Joe Rogan confronting Mencia about the issue on stage.

Mencia later discussed the alleged plagiarism on Marc Maron’s podcast, acknowledging he might have absorbed others' material but denying outright theft.

Despite these controversies, he continues to perform stand-up, with upcoming dates scheduled in Southern California and Las Vegas.