KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A Daviess County man whose family farming operation starred in a reality TV show pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to a multimillion-dollar insurance fraud scheme.

Steve A. McBee, 52, of Gallatin, Missouri, who starred in the reality TV series “The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys,” pleaded guilty to one count of federal crop insurance fraud.

McBee, who pleaded guilty, admitted that he engaged in fraudulent activities that caused the U.S. Department of Agriculture to incur more than $4 million in economic losses from 2018 to 2020.

Court documents said McBee admitted to filing false reports with Rain and Hail, a company insured by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation. In the false documents submitted, the total 2018 corn crop was underreported by approximately 674,812 bushels, and the 2018 soybean crop was underreported by approximately 155,833 bushels.

False reports resulted in McBee receiving more than $2.6 million in federal crop insurance benefits that he should not have claimed, as well as more than $500,000 in federal crop insurance premium subsidies.

READ MORE: TV show follows the lives of Missouri farmers

In addition to this specific felony charge to which he pleaded guilty, McBee said he also committed other frauds in 2019 and 2020.

McBee faces up to 30 years in federal prison without parole under federal law.

In April, McBee told KCTV that his reality show was about his upcoming decision about which of his four sons he would hand over control of his business to.

“I think it’s probably the most realistic reality show out there,” Steve McBee said ahead of the series’ premiere on Peacock.

KCTV also reported that there was also a lot of debt that came with ownership. Whoever took over the farm would have to oversee $50 million in debt while competing to land a $100 million deal with a venture capital firm.

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