{"id":16249,"date":"2025-12-05T01:07:32","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T01:07:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/?p=16249"},"modified":"2025-12-05T01:07:33","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T01:07:33","slug":"steve-mcbee-breaks-down-prison-sentence-how-he-saved-son-by-pleading-guilty-on-chrisley-confessions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/?p=16249","title":{"rendered":"Steve McBee Breaks Down Prison Sentence, How He Saved Son by Pleading Guilty on \u2018Chrisley Confessions\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steve McBee Sr. opened up about his 24-month prison sentence in an emotional interview with fellow reality star Todd Chrisley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-69-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-69-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-69-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-69-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-69.png 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">McBee, 52, star sat down with Chrisley, 56, on the Wednesday, December 3, episode of the latter\u2019s \u201cChrisley Confessions\u201d podcast shortly before he checked into a South Dakota prison on December 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"1280\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 720 \/ 1280;\" width=\"720\" controls src=\"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Haters-are-our-motivators-right-@steveamcbee-\ud83e\udd23Hear-more-from-Steve-McBee-on-his-sentencing-an.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> McBee was sentenced to two years behind bars in October 2025 after pleading guilty in a multi-million dollar crop insurance fraud case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-70-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16251\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-70-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-70-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-70-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-70.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Chrisley Knows Best alum frequently spoke of his kinship with the McBee Dynasty star, since he and his wife, Julie Chrisley, were pardoned by President Donald Trump in May 2025 after being convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and tax fraud in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m going on my sabbatical. That\u2019s what I tell everybody,\u201d McBee joked to Todd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-71-1024x683.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16252\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-71-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-71-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-71-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-71.png 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keep scrolling for some of the most shocking moments from McBee\u2019s appearance on \u201cChrisley Confessions\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What Did Steve McBee Sr. Do?<br>The U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office\u2019s Western District of Missouri announced in November 2024 that Steve McBee Sr. agreed to plead guilty for his part in a \u201cmulti-million dollar fraud scheme involving federal crop insurance benefits he was not entitled to receive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steve Sr. signed a plea deal wherein he admitted to causing losses to the U.S. Department of Agriculture by engaging in fraudulent activity between 2018 and 2020. He acknowledged filing false insurance reports that \u201cunderreported his total\u201d corn and soybean crop yields in those three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-72.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16254\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-72.png 640w, https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-72-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs a result of these false reports, McBee received $2,605,943 in federal crop insurance benefits to which he was not entitled, as well as $552,980 in federal crop insurance premium subsidies to which he was not entitled, for a total of $3,158,923,\u201d a press release from the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The statement went on, \u201cMcBee admitted that his farming operation sold more than 1.2 million bushels of corn and nearly 416,000 bushels of soybeans to another party in 2018. However, McBee\u2019s crop insurance records reported that his farming operations produced only 340,476 bushels of corn and 190,171 bushels of soybeans. In addition to the specific felony charge to which he pleaded guilty today, McBee admitted he committed additional fraud in 2019 and 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"980\" src=\"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-73-1024x980.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-73-1024x980.png 1024w, https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-73-300x287.png 300w, https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-73-768x735.png 768w, https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-73.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In taking the plea deal, Steve Sr. waived the right to a grand jury trial, which spared him as much as 30 years behind bars, if convicted. Steve Sr. was sentenced to 24 months in prison in October 2025, plus two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $4,022,124 in restitution and forfeit $3,158,923 to the U.S. government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steve Sr. began serving his prison sentence in Yankton, South Dakota, on December 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steve McBee Sr. Says He Took a Plea Deal to Save His Son Steven Jr. and His Employees<br>Steve McBee Sr. clarified to Todd Chrisley that the fraud investigation started before McBee Dynasty had even finished production on season 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He recalled not worrying much when he found out an \u201cinvestigative audit\u201d of his business practices would be conducted by the government officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-74-1024x683.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-74-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-74-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-74-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-74.png 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ll provide all the information, they\u2019ll see we didn\u2019t do anything. It\u2019ll go away,\u201d he remembered thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steve Sr. eventually received a call from his lawyer in November 2024 to set up an urgent meeting. During that conversation, Steve Sr. learned that the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office had sent a \u201cbest and final offer\u201d to avoid prosecution for insurance fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c[They said], \u2018You have 48 hours, two days, [to decide],\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steve Sr. claimed he was told that unless he pleaded guilty to \u201cone count of giving a fraudulent statement to crop insurance,\u201d the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office would pursue \u201c27 federal indictments,\u201d including charges against his son Steven and his other businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The McBee Dynasty star ultimately agreed to the plea deal in order to prevent his son Steven McBee Jr. and their employees from facing any legal trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steve McBee Sr. Explains How He Made False Statement to Investigators<br>Steve McBee Sr. blamed the discrepancies in reporting his 2018-2020 crop yields on a \u201cclerical issue\u201d on \u201cone half-field\u201d on his property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI call it a \u2018half-mistake.\u2019 It was a \u2018half-mistake,\u2019\u201d he told Chrisley. \u201cIn 2020, they found one field. We were there May 20th and we planted a little bit over half of that field. And we finished that field, like, June 18th. Well, the cutoff for reporting was like June 10th or 11th. Every county varies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He went on, \u201cThey literally said our entire insurance claim was null and void for all those years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steve Sr. alleged that he didn\u2019t personally plant the fields in question \u2014 adding that he has \u201c75 employees\u201d who do those jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis was just a planting date \u2014 if you think about how minor that is,\u201d Steve Sr. argued, claiming, \u201cIt\u2019s so minor of a clerical issue, that I didn\u2019t make! My son didn\u2019t make it \u2026 for them to say, \u2018Your entire claim is null and void,\u2019 it\u2019s mind-numbing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Steve McBee Sr. Claims He Was Targeted Because of His Family\u2019s Fame<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steve McBee Sr. confirmed that the investigation into his farming business started even before McBee Dynasty finished airing. His son Steven McBee Jr. visited the family farm on camera when he was filming Fox\u2019s 2022 reality show&nbsp;<em>Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer<\/em>&nbsp;\u2014 which may have tipped off interest from investigators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur show was already filmed. We were on episode 10, it had not aired yet, and they were just starting the investigation,\u201d Steve Sr. alleged to Todd Chrisley on his podcast. \u201cWhen that investigator started, he had told my son [Steven], \u2018I watched all of your shows. I watched all of your Instagrams.\u2019 It was like he was stalked [Steven].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steve Sr. claimed that his attorneys had \u201cnever seen any [investigator] want somebody so bad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt was a trophy prosecution at the highest level,\u201d Steve Sr. insisted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steve Sr. admitted to joking with son Steven about whether the&nbsp;<em>Joe Millionaire<\/em>&nbsp;star had \u201cdated [the investigator\u2019s] girlfriend at some time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt was a crazy deal,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Steve McBee Sr. Explains Why He Took a Plea Deal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Todd Chrisley suggested it was a \u201cshock and awe\u201d tactic when the media reported that Steve McBee Sr. could get 30 years in prison, if convicted. (Steve Sr. was ultimately sentenced to 24 months, though the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/?p=16234\">did confirm\u00a0<\/a>that he could have faced \u201ca sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c[The press] had it all pre-printed. I didn\u2019t even walk out of the building and the news articles were everywhere,\u201d Steve Sr. said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steve Sr. recalled having a frank discussion with his lawyer about their chances of beating the rap, seeing as the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office was allegedly threatening to file \u201c27 federal indictments\u201d unless a plea deal was signed. He worried that his banking partners might even back out of funding agreements for his businesses if he faced those indictments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c[I decided] OK, get my son off of this. Get all my other people off of it. Get all the other companies [off],\u201d he recalled. \u201cAt the end of the day, the buck stops with me. I take that accountability and responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the end of a six-hour meeting with his lawyer, Steve Sr. agreed to \u201cplea out to giving one count of a fraudulent statement \u2014 not that we committed fraud.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI said, \u2018No-one else is owning this but me,\u2019\u201d Steve Sr. said. \u201cIt\u2019s just so crazy it was based on a clerical issue.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Steve McBee Sr. opened up about his 24-month prison sentence in an emotional interview with fellow reality star Todd Chrisley. McBee, 52, star sat down with Chrisley, 56, on the Wednesday, December 3, episode of the latter\u2019s \u201cChrisley Confessions\u201d podcast shortly before he checked into a South Dakota prison on December 1. McBee was sentenced [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16250,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1696],"tags":[1638,1639,1637,1605,1630],"class_list":["post-16249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-mcbee-dynasty","tag-exclusiveupdates","tag-fancommunity","tag-joinus","tag-mcbeefamily","tag-themcbeedynasty"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16249"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16257,"href":"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16249\/revisions\/16257"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topkeynews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}