A previous employee of Walt Disney World has been sentenced to three years in federal prison this week for hacking into restaurant menus, altering prices, adding profanity, and modifying allergen information.
Fortunately, none of the modifications, which included misleading allergen information that could have posed risks to guests, were made public, as court documents indicate that none progressed to the printing phase.
Michael Scheuer, a 40-year-old from Winter Garden, Florida, was sentenced on Wednesday after pleading guilty in January to charges of computer fraud and aggravated identity theft.
He has been ordered to pay approximately $620,000 in restitution to Disney, along with $70,000 to the unnamed software company responsible for Disney’s menu creation system.
While court filings do not explicitly mention Disney World, the menus referenced in Scheuer’s case originate from the numerous restaurants located at Walt Disney World in Orlando.
Disney World representatives have not responded to requests for comments.
Court documents reveal that in early June 2024, Mr. Scheuer returned from paternity leave. Shortly after, he had a disagreement with a supervisor regarding menu creation and was informed that he would face suspension.
Ultimately, he was fired due to unspecified misconduct, according to the documents.
An investigation by the FBI uncovered that around this time, multiple intrusions into servers hosting the menu creation system had occurred over the following three months.
Alterations made included raising or lowering prices, inappropriate language, and misrepresenting allergens in certain menu items.
For example, on a beverage called the “Giddy-Up,” he reduced the price by $2 and decreased the portion size of a 10-ounce filet mignon by two ounces. In another change, “shellfish” was humorously altered to “hellfish.”
In some instances, either the prices or descriptions of menu items were entirely removed.
One noteworthy change was the alteration of a wine region from Golden, Colorado, to Aurora, Colorado, the site of a mass shooting. Additionally, he modified “Infamous Goose,” a premium imported wine from New Zealand, to “Infamous Moose.”
More alarmingly, he manipulated certain menu items to falsely indicate they were safe for individuals with allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, and milk, as noted in his plea agreement.
Prosecutors indicated that the covert nature of these alterations was likely intentional to evade detection.
However, Mr. Scheuer’s attorney, David Haas, contended that his client aimed to garner Disney’s attention so they would address his concerns.
“He understood that the menu changes would be caught in Disney’s rigorous menu review process,” Mr. Haas stated in a court document.
Disney did take notice and contacted the FBI, identifying Mr. Scheuer as a potential suspect. In September, authorities executed a search warrant at his residence and confiscated several electronic devices.
The criminal complaint also revealed that Mr. Scheuer employed denial-of-service attacks to block 14 Disney employees from accessing their company accounts. Some individuals affected were former colleagues involved in his termination, as detailed in court records.
On one occasion, Mr. Scheuer approached the home of a targeted employee late at night, giving a thumbs-up to the Ring doorbell camera before leaving, as documented in court filings.
Gregory W. Kehoe, the interim U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Florida, mentioned that Mr. Scheuer’s actions could partly be attributed to a mental health episode. Prosecutors sought a 70-month sentence.
In a recent interview, Mr. Haas expressed that “Mr. Scheuer is remorseful and apologetic to his former coworkers,” also conveying gratitude to the judge for imposing a 36-month sentence.
Sheelagh McNeill contributed research.