A Missouri farmer who appears in a reality TV show about his family’s farming operation pleaded guilty this week to a multi-million dollar fraud scheme involving federal crop insurance benefits.
Steve A. McBee, 52, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty to a federal information that charges him with one count of federal crop insurance fraud.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, McBee must pay restitution as determined by the court. The total loss claimed by the government is $4,022,123. Additionally, McBee must forfeit to the government $3,158,923.
McBee is the owner of McBee Farming Operations, which is the setting reality TV series “The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys” streaming on Peacock and Bravo.
The series depicts a Missouri family farming dynasty that is on the verge of becoming a billion-dollar business. McBee shared on his Instagram account this week that the series was recently renewed for a second season.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri, McBee admitted to submitting fraudulent documents to Rain and Hail, a company reinsured by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation.
McBee underreported his total 2018 corn crop by approximately 674,812 bushels and underreported his total 2018 soybean crop by approximately 155,833 bushels. McBee received $2,606,000 in federal crop insurance benefits to which he was not entitled, as well as $553,000 in federal crop insurance premium subsidies to which he was not entitled, for a total of $3,159,000.
McBee also provided false information when he obtained crop insurance through NAU Country Insurance in 2020. McBee’s farming operation planted corn after the last planting date in 2020, which made the crop ineligible for insurance. McBee provided false plant dates on crop insurance documents to NAU Country Insurance. As a result, McBee received federal crop insurance benefits to which he was not entitled.
McBee is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years without parole.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
Topics Fraud Agribusiness Missouri
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