Steve McBree Sr, a 52-year-old cattle farmer and father-of-four, is making the most of his final days of freedom before he begins a 24-month prison sentence for crop insurance fraud. The American businessman must self-surrender to federal authorities by 2 p.m. on Monday, December 1.
A Final Family Feast Before Incarceration
With his freedom rapidly diminishing, McBee is determined to enjoy one last Thanksgiving-style celebration with his extended family. "I like to cook," he revealed to People magazine. "I always cook very large meals for everybody, so everybody's coming to my house, even my brothers and sister and extended family. I'm going to smoke a prime rib on the Traeger [grill] and then cook the turkey."
Three days after the family gathering, McBee will drive himself to Yankton, South Dakota to report to federal prison. For his ultimate meal as a free man on Sunday evening, he's opting for simplicity with his favourite dish. "I love steak," he admitted. "Obviously, I'm a cattle guy, so that's my favourite meal: steak and potatoes. And I can eat potatoes any way - I like them baked, mashed, fried."
Maintaining Positivity Amidst Prison Preparations
As his incarceration date approaches, McBee emphasised his commitment to keeping family spirits high. "I don't want anybody to be sad," he explained. "I want everyone to be upbeat. Everything's going to be good. I've skipped a lot of family vacations because of work - and, looking back, I shouldn't have - but I've never really taken any kind of extended vacation."
The farmer has even found dark humour in his situation, joking about treating his prison term as a "sabbatical" after years of relentless work. He also expressed concerns about maintaining his physical condition while incarcerated. "I'm afraid if I come out, and I just look like me, they're going to be like, 'Really? You had months to work out,'" he quipped. "That's a lot of pressure! I have to go in there and hit it hard."
McBee has been researching the prison facilities and claims to have found some positives. "Yankton is an old college, and they said they have a really good gym in there and that the food is better than a lot of other places. I'm trying to find all the positives."
Family Wedding Plans Disrupted by Sentence
One significant concern weighing heavily on McBee is how his imprisonment will affect his son Cole's wedding plans. Cole recently became engaged to fiancée Kacie Adkinson on November 7, and the couple share a 10-month-old daughter named Blair.
"When I'm out, we're going to have a big wedding," McBee stated. "The best case scenario is I would get a pardon or get home early, like in nine or 10 months. So, they tentatively want to get married next fall, but if dad's not home, it's going to have to flow to the spring. I feel so bad, but they'll be okay and we'll get through it."
The legal consequences McBee faces are substantial. In addition to his 24-month prison sentence, he received two years of supervised release and has been ordered to pay $4,022,124 in restitution after pleading guilty to crop insurance fraud.
While McBee's story has gained attention through his impending incarceration, his family's life is also documented in "McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys," with seasons 1 and 2 currently available for streaming on Peacock.
