A former menu production manager at Walt Disney World has been sentenced to a three-year federal prison stay after pleading guilty to charges of computer hacking and identity theft. Michael Scheuer of Winter Garden, 40, was accused of launching cyberattacks against the company's system after his termination for misconduct in June 2024. These actions included altering food allergen information—which could have posed significant health risks to guests with allergies—and making unauthorized changes to menu pricing, adding profanities, and referencing recent mass shooting locations in wine descriptions.
In an act of post-employment vengeance, Scheuer decided to knowingly transmit a program, code, or command to a protected computer and intentionally cause damage, according to information detailed by ClickOrlando. The former employee's actions compelled Disney to take its menu creation program offline for over a week, a disruption that the company claims cost upwards of $150,000.
U.S. District Judge Julie Sneed handed down the sentence, which includes an order for Scheuer to pay $687,776.50 in restitution to the victims and to forfeit his computer equipment involved in the intrusions, the Justice Department revealed. Scheuer had originally been arrested in October 2024 and later entered a guilty plea in January this year following an FBI investigation into his activities at his former place of work.
Scheuer's destructive cyberattacks culminated not only in prison time but also a significant financial penalty, as he was held accountable for both the tangible and potential harm his actions could have inflicted. Disney responded rapidly to the alterations, catching the changes before the misinformation could impact any dining guests, as reported by WESH. His manipulation of allergens on menu items posed a severe risk, potentially endangering the health and well-being of unsuspecting patrons with allergies.
In addition to locking out fellow employees from their accounts, information from ClickOrlando also indicates that as part of Scheuer's plea, the admission of these federal offenses will lead him to serve the next chapter of his life within the confines of a prison cell, faced with the ramifications of his retaliatory cyber crusade against a former employer that defines the happiest place on earth.
