A former Disney menu production manager has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges after allegedly hacking restaurant menus to falsify allergen information and make other unauthorized changes following his termination.
Michael Scheuer will plead guilty to computer fraud and aggravated identity theft charges in U.S. District Court in Orlando, Florida. According to court documents, Scheuer accessed menu creation software after his June dismissal and modified allergen warnings for ingredients like peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish and milk - changes that prosecutors say could have had potentially fatal consequences for guests with severe allergies.
Beyond the dangerous allergen modifications, Scheuer allegedly made other concerning alterations including adding a swastika symbol, creating blank pages, and replacing wine region descriptions with references to mass shooting locations. While some altered menus were printed, Disney believes they identified and contained all compromised materials before they reached restaurants.
The criminal activity extended beyond menu tampering. In August, Scheuer launched cyberattacks targeting 14 Disney employees, many of whom he had worked with previously, repeatedly locking them out of their company accounts. These denial-of-service attacks only ceased when federal agents raided his residence in September.
In a concerning escalation, Scheuer later appeared at a targeted employee's home at night, prompting Disney to relocate the worker to a hotel with security protection.
Through his attorney David Haas, Scheuer acknowledged his actions while citing mental health challenges that worsened after being fired upon returning from paternity leave. Haas emphasized that no guests were ultimately endangered, stating his client "is deeply remorseful for what happened."
Disney has temporarily switched to manual menu approvals while developing a new system to replace the compromised third-party software. Scheuer faces potential prison time and financial penalties, with the final sentencing recommendations to be influenced by the yet-to-be-determined monetary damages to Disney.