Steve McBee Sr. has officially entered the next phase of his legal journey. After months of public scrutiny and family preparation, the McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys star, 52, reported to federal prison in Yankton, South Dakota, on Monday, Dec. 1.
PEOPLE confirmed he was required to self-surrender by 2 p.m. local time and arrived at about 1:30 p.m., beginning his 24-month sentence for federal crop insurance fraud.
McBee was sentenced in October after pleading guilty to one count of federal crop insurance fraud in 2024. In addition to the prison term, he was ordered to pay $4,022,124 in restitution.
Ahead of reporting, McBee shared with PEOPLE that he’s hoping for an early return home through either the First Step Act or a possible pardon from former President Donald Trump. “I’ve been meeting with pardon attorneys,” he said. “We’re putting everything together to fill out the application and turn everything in.”
As he prepares the application, McBee said he’s been receiving guidance from Todd Chrisley, who was granted a full pardon while serving time for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and tax fraud. “We’ve had hours of conversation,” McBee said. “He doesn’t owe me anything, and he’s texted me every other day, like, ‘Checking on you, buddy. How are you feeling today? It’s going to be okay. Everything’s going to be all right. We’re going to get through this. I’m going to help you any way I can.'”
Before turning himself in, McBee spent Thanksgiving with his family on their ranch in Gallatin, Missouri. On Sunday, Nov. 30, he and his family — including his ex-wife Kristi and their four sons, Steven Jr., Jesse, Cole and Brayden — traveled together to Yankton in a bus. McBee shared moments from the trip on Instagram, telling followers, “Everybody’s trying to have a great time and spend the moments together. That’s what life’s about.”
His ex, Galyna Saltkovska, also sent her support in an Instagram video. “I just wanted to let you know I’m sending you good vibes and good luck,” she said. “I know you got it, and we got it here. We’ll see you back here before you know it.”
McBee also joked to PEOPLE about the physical expectations he feels coming from fans. He said the “hardest expectation” during his sentence is the pressure to get “all big and buff” in prison. “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 said. “That’s a lot of pressure! I have to go in there and hit it hard. 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.”
He admitted that one of the toughest parts of his sentence is how it affects his son Cole and Cole’s fiancée, Kacie Adkinson, who got engaged on Nov. 7. The couple shares a 10-month-old daughter, Blair. “When I’m out, we’re going to have a big wedding,” McBee said. “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.”
As he begins his sentence, McBee said he’s trying to focus on the idea of moving forward. “Obviously, we hope for the best and pray for the best, but the storm is finally clearing,” he said. “A captain doesn’t become a skilled captain on calm water, they learn how to navigate through storms. This was certainly a level five hurricane, but when the storm breaks, you smell the fresh, clean air. We’re starting to come out of that, so I’m feeling a lot better.”