‘Real American Cowboy’ TV Star Faces Real American Fraud Sentence

A case involving wrong-doing starting in 2018 is about to be harvested.

The patriarch of a family reality TV series that takes viewers behind the scenes of the high-stakes world of farming and ranching will be sentenced on September 9 for multi-million-dollar crop insurance fraud.

Steve McBee, who along with his four sons, are stars of  "The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys." Steve McBee will be in the U.S. District Court for the District of Western Missouri to be sentenced on the fraud charges. He pleaded guilty at the end of 2024 and could face up to 30 years in prison without a chance of parole, because of what is a Class B felony.

The Western Ag Network tells us that, as part of the plea agreement, the U.S. government agreed not to bring any additional charges against McBee, any of his farm entities or any member of his family in connection with the crop insurance fraud committed from January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2020.

THE LOSS IS IN MILLIONS...BUT JUST HOW MANY?

The U.S. government has maintained that the loss amount from the McBee fraud was more than $3.5 million but less than $9.5 million, according to the plea agreement, which would result in an "18-level increase in the offense."

According to the plea agreement, Mr. McBee has "admitted his guilt and clearly accepted responsibility for his actions and has assisted authorities in the investigation or prosecution of his own misconduct by timely notifying authorities of his intention to enter a plea of guilty."

Steve McBee is required to forfeit assets if needed to pay restitution and could be subject to a polygraph examination concerning the identification of and recovery of assets.