Bravo Star Steve McBee Sr. Breaks Silence After Being Sentenced to Prison

Steve McBee Sr., star of the Bravo show “The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys,” was sentenced Oct. 16 in the U.S. Western District Court of Missouri in Kansas City to 24 months in federal prison for multi-million dollar crop insurance fraud.

McBee initially pleaded guilty to one count of federal crop insurance fraud in November 2024 for engaging in fraudulent activity from 2018 to 2020 that caused an economic loss to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

According to court documents, once the sentence is complete, McBee will be on supervised release for a term of two years. The judge ordered criminal monetary penalties of a $100 assessment fee to the court and restitution of $4,022,124 to the U.S.D.A. Risk Management Agency.

This sentence is less than the government’s recommendation of 41 months in prison and three years of supervision.

McBee, who turned 53 in March, is ordered to self-surrender to the Federal Prison Camp in Yankton, South Dakota on Dec. 1, 2025.

This sentence comes one day after Bravo renewed the show for a third season, dubbed a reality version of a combined “Yellowstone” and “Succession” for a third season.

The series initially premiered on Peacock and USA Network in March of 2024 and was then picked up by Bravo for a second season that aired this summer. (Peacock and Bravo are owned by NBCUniversal, TODAY’s parent company).

Attorneys for McBee told TODAY “we have no other statement” outside of the sentencing hearing.

On Friday morning, McBee posted to his Instagram Stories a screenshot of a supportive text message he received and wrote, “The number of messages I have received touches my heart beyond measure that words could express. but the truth of the matter is, I’m the one who’s lucky..lucky to have been able to spend time with so many high character young people and they were the ones that made me a better human not the other way around.” McBee continued, “I count my blessings every day for my family and the support they give me and for my extended family that continues to grow each and every day. This too shall pass…”

McBee posted a joint Instagram Post Thursday evening with the McBee Farm & Cattle Co business account writing, “Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once. William Shakespeare.” This was along with a picture of “The Man In the Arena” quote by Theodore Roosevelt and the Alice In Chains song “Rooster.”

According to a Department of Justice release on McBee’s guilty plea last year, “McBee received federal crop insurance benefits to which he was not entitled.”

The government said McBee admitted to making a false report to Rain and Hail, a company reinsured by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation.

The fraudulent documents underreported his total 2018 corn and soybean crop. This resulted in a total of $3,158,923 federal crop insurance that should not have been given to McBee, per the release.

According to the DOJ, records showed the number of bushels of corn and soybean sold by McBee Farm & Cattle Co. did not match what was reported to the insurance company.

In 2019, McBee misrepresented that soybeans were the first crop in certain fields when wheat had already been harvested. The government states that the Rain and Hail crop insurance policy only allowed insurance coverage on the first crop planted on a piece of land during a given crop year, which resulted in double cropping and McBee receiving unjustified federal crop insurance benefits.

The DOJ also cited that McBee provided false information to NAU Country Insurance in 2020, by listing false plant dates on crop insurance documents. McBee’s farming operation planted corn after the last planting date in 2020, which made the crop ineligible for insurance.

The government claimed a total loss of $4,022,123, which is one dollar less than McBee’s sentenced restitution.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Cooper responded to TODAY’s request for comment on the sentencing and said that due to the government shutdown, he was not able to provide a statement, “During the current lapse in appropriations, DOJ operations are directed toward national security, violations of federal law, and essential public safety functions. Inquiries outside of these functions will be considered when the lapse in appropriations ends.”

Unlike the premiere season, McBee only made a few appearances in Season 2 of the series as he navigated legal proceedings.

In his absence, his ex-wife and mother of his four sons, Kristi McBee was a season regular. Their four children are Steven Jr, Jesse, Cole and Brayden McBee.

In an episode of the family podcast “Meet The McBees,” brothers Steven Jr., Jesse, and Cole McBee read a statement from McBee after he pleaded guilty in November 2024.

Jesse McBee said on behalf of his father, “I entered a plea agreement to address crop insurance issues with farming operations back in 2018 through 2020. I personally accept responsibility, as the buck stops with me.”

Jesse McBee continued to read, “I will always acknowledge a failure in judgement and action, just like I will always celebrate our McBee team when it comes to enjoying success. From our first-generation family farm to all our other McBee family ventures, we are committed to conducting business the right way. The high standards we satisfy now in 2024 will continue to guide McBee endeavors and projects moving forward.”

Throughout the second season, legal developments were kept between Steven McBee Jr., who took on the CEO role for McBee Farm & Cattle Company, McBee’s Coffee N Carwash, and other business ventures in his father’s absence, as well as Kristi McBee and the company’s CFO Galyna Saltkovska.

The specifics of the charges were not discussed until the finale that aired on Sept. 1 titled “Wedding Bells and Jail Cells,” when Steven McBee Jr. revealed what was going on behind the scenes to brothers Jesse and Cole McBee.

The finale also included the wedding of McBee’s son Jesse McBee to Alli Ventresca, the birth of his first grandchild Blair to his son Cole McBee and his girlfriend Kacie Adkison, and the announcement that Jesse and Alli McBee welcomed the second grandchild, a baby girl named Summer, after filming wrapped.

As the sons reflected on the legal proceedings ahead, Cole McBee said at the end of the episode, “It’s upsetting to watch someone work your whole life every single day and have one mistake change everything. I’m honestly afraid.”

Jesse McBee stated, “My dad, he’s 51 years old, he’s getting up there in age. I’m definitely a little scared at the thought of my dad going to jail.”

Steven McBee Jr. shared on camera, “I have no idea what the future holds with my dad’s situation. There’s a lot of tough times ahead. My end goal is to make sure this farm is here, not only for our kids, but our kids kids. To carry this into the next generation and to truly create a legacy, that puts one hell of a burden on my shoulders to keep this family farm alive.”

Ahead of the sentencing McBee posted on Wednesday to his Instagram Stories a photo of a rainbow he saw over the highway and wrote, “A rainbow on my way back to ranch on a sunny day,” along with two prayer hand emojis.

The image was paired with the Creed song “One Last Breath” and the lyrics typed out, “Reflecting on all of my mistakes, I thought I found the road to somewhere, Somewhere in His grace I cried out, ‘Heaven, save me.’”

Hours before the sentencing Steven McBee Jr. posted a photo with his dad from a previous Father’s Day post on his Instagram Stories and wrote, “Love ya Dad. Whole family is here for you,” along with the Tim McGraw song “The Cowboy In Me.”

His son Cole McBee posted to his Instagram Stories the family photo taken at Jesse McBee’s wedding during the season finale and wrote, “We will get through anything together. To the hardest working man I know, it’s our turn to be here for you. We got you dad,” paired with the Jason Aldean song “Amarillo Sky.”

Cole McBee’s girlfriend Kacie Adkison shared the same photo and song on her Instagram Stories and wrote “fam” with the emoji hands forming a heart.

The company’s CFO Galyna Saltkovska and McBee’s former girlfriend posted on Instagram Stories a photo of the Theodore Roosevelt “The Man In the Arena” quote and tagged McBee’s Instagram handle.

After the sentencing, Jesse McBee posted to his Instagram Stories a photo of his dad holding a hammer as he works in a ditch and wrote, “Invictus maneo.”

Bravo responded to TODAY’s inquiry and said they have no further comment and are not privy to any information beyond what is being made public after the hearing.

They also confirmed that Variety’s reporting is accurate that in addition to the Season 3 renewal of “The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys,” the filming resumed ahead of Thursday’s sentencing.