Former Disney Employee Pleads Guilty to Hacking Menu-Creation Software
Accused of Falsely Indicating Food Items as Safe for Customers with Allergies
A former Disney employee, Michael Scheuer, has agreed to plead guilty to two felony counts – computer fraud and aggravated identity theft – for hacking into menu-creation software for the company’s restaurants. According to a court filing, Scheuer made changes to menus to falsely indicate that certain food items did not contain potentially deadly allergens such as peanuts.
Changes to Menus
Scheuer is accused of making various changes to Disney restaurant menus, including altering fonts, causing some pages to be blank, and changing information about wines to replace geographic regions with the locations of "recent mass shootings." In one instance, he added a swastika to a menu.
Consequences of His Actions
The changes Scheuer made to allergen information on menus "focused on peanut, tree nut, shellfish, and milk allergens," according to the filing. "Scheuer added notations to menu items indicating they were safe for people with specific allergies, which change could have had fatal consequences depending on the type and severity of a customer’s allergy."
Plea Agreement and Sentencing
Scheuer has agreed to plead guilty to the two felony counts. His lawyer, David Haas, stated that Scheuer will enter his guilty plea in the coming weeks. Haas said that Scheuer is remorseful for his actions and will be subject to a restitution order and fine when he is sentenced.
Background and Investigation
Scheuer was fired as a menu production manager in June and, in August, launched a cyberattack designed to continually lock Disney employees out of their company online accounts. The attack targeted 14 employees, most of whom had some kind of interaction with Scheuer during his time at the company. Federal agents raided Scheuer’s residence on September 23, and the denial-of-service attacks ceased minutes before agents made contact with him.
Conclusion
Scheuer’s actions put the safety of Disney restaurant customers at risk, and his guilty plea is a serious consequence of his actions. His sentence will be determined in the coming weeks, and he will be subject to a restitution order and fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What did Michael Scheuer do?
A: Scheuer, a former Disney employee, hacked into menu-creation software and made changes to Disney restaurant menus, falsely indicating that certain food items did not contain potentially deadly allergens such as peanuts.
Q: What were the consequences of Scheuer’s actions?
A: The changes Scheuer made to allergen information on menus could have had fatal consequences for customers with severe food allergies.
Q: What is Scheuer’s punishment?
A: Scheuer has agreed to plead guilty to two felony counts and will be subject to a restitution order and fine when he is sentenced.
Q: Why was Scheuer fired from Disney?
A: Scheuer was fired from Disney after objecting to changes in the system for creating menus at the company’s restaurants.
