A former Disney World Resort employee has admitted hacking into one of the company’s computer systems and removing life-saving allergy information from restaurant menus.
Michael Scheuer was fired on June 13, 2024 due to alleged misconduct. He worked as a menu production manager and his firing was considered “controversial and … not considered amicable,” according to the federal court complaint.
Scheuer pleaded guilty to knowingly transmitting programs, information, code and commands and intentionally causing damage to a protected computer without authorization, as well as aggravated identity theft, according to a Jan. 10 court plea agreement.
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Michael Schur Photos (Orange County Sheriff’s Office)
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Scheer’s attorney, David Haas, said his client “is prepared to accept responsibility for his actions.”
“Unfortunately, his mental health issues worsened when Disney fired him after he returned from paternity leave,” he added. “No one was at risk of injury and he is deeply remorseful for what happened.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Disney.
Federal prosecutors said Scheuer, whom they called a “threat actor,” was responsible for creating and distributing all restaurant menus for the company, including digital menus. According to a complaint, the company said none of the changes were reflected on the print or digital menus, but did result in a $150,000 loss.
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Entrance to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. (iStock)
“That is, the threat actors manipulated allergen information on menus by adding information to some allergen notices that suggested certain menu items were safe for people with peanut allergies, when in fact they were safe for people with peanut allergies,” the complaint states. They can be fatal to people with peanut allergies.
Prosecutors said the allergen changes focused on peanut, tree nut, shellfish and milk allergens.
“More specifically, the threat actors added notes on menu items indicating they were safe for people with specific allergies, which could have fatal consequences depending on the customer’s allergies,” prosecutors said. “The menus are believed to have been identified and quarantined by Company A before being shipped to the restaurant, and were not distributed further. “
Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse statues at Walt Disney World in Orlando. (Associated Press)
Additionally, Scheuer added profanity and changed the pricing of some items on the menu, Fox Orlando reported. He also allegedly sent multiple login requests, leaving more than a dozen employees unable to access their accounts and systems.
He also changed the font, causing some pages to go blank. In particular, Scheuer made changes to wine information, replacing geographical areas with locations “where recent mass shootings occurred” and embedding “swastikas” on menus, the document said.
When questioned by investigators, he said he was framed to conceal the terms of his firing, the complaint states.
Crowds of people in front of the iconic castle at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. (2024 Geek Fortune)
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He faces up to 10 years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.
