Steve McBee Sr. will serve a two-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to crop insurance fraud in 2024. He received his 24-month sentence on Thursday, October 16, and must self-surrender by 2p on Monday, December 1, according to People.
The sentencing took place in Kansas City, Missouri. In addition to his two-year sentence, McBee also received another two years of supervised release, and he’ll have to pay over $4 million in restitution. McBee was facing up to 30 years in prison without parole before the judge revealed his sentencing.
In November 2024, McBee pleaded guilty to one count of federal crop insurance fraud. He admitted to making a false report to Rain and Hail, a company reinsured by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation. He also underreported his 2018 corn crop by submitting “fraudulent documents” to Rain and Hail, per a Department of Justice press release.
Per the release, “McBee admitted that he engaged in fraudulent activity from 2018 to 2020 that caused an economic loss to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.” He must pay the entire loss claimed by the government ($4,022,123) in restitution.
McBee “underreported his total 2018 corn crop by approximately 674,812 bushels and underreported his total 2018 soybean crop by approximately 155,833 bushels,” according to the release. Because of these false reports, he received $2,605,943 in federal crop insurance benefits that he should not have been entitled to, along with $552,980 crop insurance premium subsidies he was not entitled to.
McBee appeared on Season 1 of his family’s reality show McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys, but did not come back for Season 2 as he awaited his sentencing. At the end of the first season, he handed the company over to his son, Steven McBee Jr.
However, amid the FBI investigation, he made a surprise return to the show in August. McBee met up with his sons when they took a trip to Nashville.
Of his dad’s Season 2 absence, Steven Jr. told People, “Just out of how delicate that situation is, it’s still ongoing and we’re hoping to have it wrapped up here before the end of the year, but just wanted to keep him out of any sort of public eye or anything, just until that situation is resolved. Just to protect him and protect our family.”
The McBee Dynasty was renewed for Season 3 earlier this week.