KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A farmer from Gallatin, Missouri, whose family farm is part of a reality TV show, pleaded guilty Tuesday in KCMO federal court to a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme.
Steve A. McBee, 52, is the owner of McBee Farming Operations and is a main character on the Peacock/Bravo reality TV series "The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys."
McBee pleaded guilty to one count of federal crop insurance fraud, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Kansas City.
He will pay restitution determined by the court.
The news release stated the total loss claimed by the government is $4,022,123.
McBee also must forfeit $3,158,923 to the government.
He could face a federal prison sentence of up to 30 years without parole.
McBee admitted his farming business sold more than 1.2 million bushels of corn and nearly 416,000 bushels of soybeans to another party in 2018, according to the news release.
He submitted false crop insurance records stating his farm produced only 340,476 bushels of corn and 190,171 bushels of soybeans.
McBee also admitted at Tuesday's hearing he committed fraud in 2019 and 2020.
No sentencing date has been set.
—
If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.
Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.
