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Reality show farmer from Gallatin, Mo. admits to fraud scheme
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Reality show farmer from Gallatin, Mo. admits to fraud scheme

A Gallatin, Mo., man whose farming operation was featured on a reality TV show has pleaded guilty to a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme.

Steve A. McBee, 52, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal crop insurance fraud charge.

McBee owns McBee Farming Operations and stars in the TV series “The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys” on Peacock.

McBee admits to filing a false report with Rain and Hail, an insurance company backed by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation.

McBee underreported the 2018 corn crop by 674,812 bushels and underreported the total 2018 soybean crop by 155,833 bushels.

The false claim earned McBee $3,158,923.

He also admitted to committing fraud in 2019 and 2020, with a total loss of $4,022,123.

He will have to repay this amount and forfeit $3,158,923 to the government.

McBee will be sentenced at a later date but faces up to 30 years in federal prison without parole.