Brade
A federal judge has sentenced MICHAEL SCHEUER, a former Disney World employee, to three years in prison for hacking into the park’s menu system, removing critical peanut allergy information, adding profanities, and altering fonts. The 40-year-old Winter Garden, Florida resident will also forfeit his computers and pay $687,776.50 in restitution to the victims, as reported by Fox 35.
Michael Scheuer, who previously served as a menu production manager at Disney, was responsible for the creation and distribution of all restaurant menus, including digital versions. He pleaded guilty to the charges in January and was terminated from his position on June 13, 2024. His firing was described as contentious and far from amicable, according to a federal complaint.
The complaint alleges that Scheuer made unauthorized changes to the menus, including adding profanities, altering pricing, and removing life-saving peanut allergy information. Although none of these changes were published, the damages were estimated to exceed $150,000. Additionally, he reportedly sent multiple log-in requests that locked more than a dozen employees out of their accounts and systems, further disrupting operations.
The FBI raided Scheuer‘s home on September 23, seizing at least four computers. During questioning, he initially denied any involvement, claiming Disney was framing him due to concerns about his termination. His attorney, DAVID HAAS, stated that Scheuer had a disability that impacted his employment and alleged that Disney failed to provide accommodations or clarify the reasons for his suspension and subsequent termination.
Haas further revealed that Scheuer filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and expressed his intention to vigorously defend his client’s side of the story.
Michael Scheuer was originally charged with knowingly causing the transmission of a program, information, code, or command to a protected computer and intentionally causing damage exceeding $5,000 without authorization.
This case highlights the potential risks of unauthorized access to critical systems and the importance of safeguarding public health and safety, particularly in high-traffic environments like Disney World.
