Steve McBee Sr. tells how he saved son by going to prison

Steve McBee Sr. In an emotional interview with another reality star, he opens up about being jailed for 24 months Todd Chrisley.

Star McBee, 52, sat down with Chrisley, 56, on Wednesday, December 3, for an episode of the Chrisley Confessions podcast shortly before the latter entered prison in South Dakota on December 1. Sentenced to two years in prison In October 2025, he pleaded guilty in a multimillion-dollar crop insurance fraud case.

this chrisley knows best Alum often talks about his relationship with McBee Dynasty star, ever since he and his wife, Julie Chrisleypardoned by the President Donald Trump In May 2025, he was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and tax fraud in 2022.

“I’m going on vacation. That’s what I tell everybody,” McBee joked to Todd.

Keep scrolling to see some of the most shocking moments from McBee’s appearance on “Chrisley Confessions”:

What did old Steve McBee do?

U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri Announce In November 2024, Steve McBee Sr. agreed to plead guilty to participating in a “multimillion-dollar fraud scheme involving federal crop insurance benefits to which he was not entitled.”

Steve Sr. signed a plea agreement admitting to engaging in fraudulent activities that caused losses to the USDA between 2018 and 2020. He admitted to filing false insurance reports that “underreported his total corn and soybean crop production for three years.”

“As a result of these false reports, McBee received $2,605,943 in federal crop insurance benefits to which he was not entitled, and $552,980 in federal crop insurance premium subsidies to which he was not entitled, for a total of $3,158,923,” a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

The statement continued, “McBee admitted that his farm sold more than 1.2 million bushels of corn and nearly 416,000 bushels of soybeans to another party in 2018. However, McBee’s crop insurance records show that his farm only produced 340,476 bushels of corn and 190,171 bushels of soybeans. In addition to the specific felony charges to which he pleaded guilty today, McBee admitted that he sold more than 1.2 million bushels of corn and nearly 416,000 bushels of soybeans in 2019 and 2020.” More fraud was committed.”

In reaching the plea agreement, Steve Sr. gave up his right to a grand jury trial and would be spared up to 30 years in prison if convicted. Steve Sr. was sentenced in October 2025 to 24 months in prison, plus two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $4,022,124 in restitution to the U.S. government and forfeit $3,158,923.

Steve Sr. began serving his sentence on December 1 in Yankton, South Dakota.

Steve McBee Sr. says he signed plea deal to save his son, Steven Jr., and his employees

Steve McBee Sr. clarifies to Todd Chrisley that fraud investigation dates back to McBee Dynasty The first season has even finished production.

He recalled that he wasn’t too worried when he found out government officials would conduct an “investigative audit” of his business practices.

“We’ll provide all the information and they’ll find out we didn’t do anything. It’ll go away,” he remembers thinking.

Steve Sr. eventually received a call from his attorney in November 2024, requesting an emergency meeting. During that conversation, Steve Sr. learned that the U.S. Attorney’s Office had made a “best and final offer” to avoid prosecution for insurance fraud.

“(They said), ‘You have 48 hours, two days (to decide),” he said.

Steve Sr. claimed he was told that unless he pleaded guilty to “one count of making fraudulent statements to crop insurance,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office would file “27 federal indictments,” including charges against his son, Steven, and his other businesses.

this McBee Dynasty Star finally agrees to plea deal to stop his son Steven McBee Jr. and its employees from any legal trouble.

Steve McBee Sr. explains how he made false statements to investigators

Steve McBee Sr. blamed the discrepancy in the 2018-2020 crop yield report on a “clerical issue” with “half a field” on his property.

“I call it a ‘half mistake.’ It’s a ‘half mistake,'” he told Chrisley. “In 2020, they found a field. We were there on May 20th and planted a little over half of that field. We finished that field on June 18th. Well, the reporting deadline is June 10th or 11th. It varies from county to county.”

He continued, “They did say our entire insurance claim over the years was invalid.”

Steve Sr. claimed he did not personally farm the properties in question, adding that he had “75 employees” working on them.

“It’s just a planting date – if you think about how small that is,” Steve Sr. argued, claiming, “It was just a tiny paperwork issue that I didn’t do! My son didn’t do it… They said, ‘Your whole claim is invalid,’ and that’s mind-numbing.”

Steve McBee Sr. claims he was targeted because of family fame

Steve McBee Sr. confirmed the investigation into his farm business began even before “The McBee Dynasty” aired. His son, Steven McBee Jr., was on camera visiting the family farm while filming Fox’s 2022 reality show Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer – which may have piqued the interest of investigators.

“Our show has finished filming. We’re filming episode 10 and it hasn’t aired yet and they’ve just started investigating,” Steve Sr. claimed to Todd Chrisley on his podcast. “When the investigators started, he told my son (Steven), ‘I watch all your shows. I watch all your Instagrams.’ It was like he was being stalked (Steven).”

Steve Sr. claimed his attorney had “never seen any (investigator) want someone so badly.”

“This is trophy prosecution at the highest level,” insists Steve Sr.

Steve Sr. admits joking with son Steven joe millionaire The star “dated (the investigator’s) girlfriend.”

“It’s a crazy deal,” he added.

Steve McBee Sr. explains why he accepted plea deal

When the media reported that Steve McBee Sr. could be sentenced to 30 years in prison if convicted, Todd Chrisley said it was a “shock and awe” tactic. (The elder Steve was ultimately sentenced to 24 months in prison, although the U.S. Attorney’s Office indeed confirmed He could face “up to 30 years in federal prison without the possibility of parole.”)

“(The media) had everything pre-printed. I didn’t even step out of the building and the news articles were everywhere,” Steve Sr. said.

Steve Sr. recalled having a candid discussion with his attorney about the chance of exoneration after the U.S. Attorney’s Office allegedly threatened to file “27 federal indictments” unless a plea deal was signed. He fears that if he faces these prosecutions, his banking partners may even withdraw from financing agreements for his businesses.

“(I decided) OK, let my son get out of this. Get all my other guys out of it. Get all my other companies out of it,” he recalled. “At the end of the day, the buck stops with me. I take responsibility.”

After a six-hour meeting with his attorney, Steve Sr. agreed to “plead to one count of fraudulent representation — not that we committed fraud.”

“I said, ‘No one has this but me,'” Steve Sr. said. “It’s crazy that it’s because of paperwork.”