A Missouri farmer who starred in a reality show about his family business has pleaded guilty to a multimillion-dollar insurance fraud scheme.
Steve A. McBee, 52, starred alongside his four children in The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys on Peacock.
Season 1 of the series, which premiered in March, began with the patriarch stating that McBee Farm & Cattle Company was on its way “to becoming a billion-dollar company.”
However, McBee will not return for the second season and pleaded guilty to a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme involving federal crop insurance benefits to which he was not entitled.
‘I entered into a plea agreement to address crop insurance issues with farming operations in 2018-2020. “I personally accept responsibility, because the responsibility is mine,” McBee said. The Kansas City star.
Steve A. McBee (center), 52, starred with his four children in The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys on Peacock.
The patriarch claimed that McBee Farm & Cattle Company was on its way “to becoming a billion-dollar company.”
‘I will always recognize failure in judgment and action, just as I will always celebrate our McBee team when they succeed.
‘From our first-generation family farm to all other McBee family businesses, we are committed to doing business the right way. “The high standards we meet now in 2024 will continue to guide McBee’s efforts and projects in the future.”
McBee waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty to a federal information charging him with one count of federal crop insurance fraud on Nov. 5, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.
He admitted that he engaged in fraudulent activity from 2018 to 2020 by submitting false reports to insurance companies.
McBee failed to inform Rain and Hail, a company reinsured by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, that its agricultural operations produced only 340,476 bushels of corn and 190,171 bushels of soybeans in 2018.
In reality, his farming operation sold more than 1.2 million bushels of corn and nearly 416,000 bushels of soybeans.
As a result of these false reports, McBee received $2,605,943 in federal crop insurance benefits to which he was not entitled, as well as $552,980 in federal crop insurance premium subsidies to which he was not entitled, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.
McBee will not return for the second season and pleaded guilty to a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme involving federal crop insurance benefits.
The father (right) admitted that he engaged in fraudulent activity from 2018 to 2020 by submitting false reports to insurance companies.
He also provided false information to Rain and Hail to obtain insurance for McBee’s farming operation’s 2019 soybean crop by misrepresenting that soybeans were the first crop in certain fields when wheat had already been harvested in those fields.
In 2020, McBee’s farm planted corn after the last planting date of that year, making the crop ineligible for insurance.
However, McBee provided false planting dates on crop insurance documents to NAU Country Insurance.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 13, 2025, where he faces up to 30 years in federal prison without parole. He must also deliver $3,158,923 to the government.
The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys returns for a second season in 2025 and was moved from transmission on Peacock for the Bravo company’s reality television network.
McBee is not listed as a cast member for the new season.