McBee Dynasty Patriarch Sentenced 24 Months, Owes $4M in Crop Insurance Fraud

Steve A. McBee Sr., known from McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys, has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and ordered to pay over $4 million in restitution following his guilty plea in a federal crop insurance fraud case. The sentencing took place in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 16, 2025, and also includes two years of supervised release. McBee must report to prison by December 1.

McBee’s fraudulent activity involved submitting false reports to Rain and Hail, a company reinsured by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation. He underreported his 2018 corn crop by more than 674,000 bushels and his soybean crop by over 155,000 bushels, securing nearly $2.6 million in unauthorized insurance benefits and more than $550,000 in premium subsidies. Additional fraudulent activity in subsequent years included misrepresenting planting dates and crop sequences to maximize payouts.

This case emphasizes key risk areas for claims adjusters in crop insurance: data falsification, delayed reporting, and manipulation of insured planting conditions. It also demonstrates the scale of financial damage that can arise from fraud involving federal insurance programs, and the significant penalties that can result, including prison time and asset forfeiture.