Last year, we shared information on Michael Scheuer, a former menu production manager for Walt Disney World, who was accused of hacking into Disney’s restaurant software to alter allergen information, removing warnings from menus for peanuts and other allergens. The accusations went into further detail, stating that Scheuer used his personal computer to hack the menu system, which Disney reportedly no longer uses, and access the accounts of 14 Disney cast members.
Today, according to a report in the Orlando Sentinel, Scheuer has been sentenced to spend three years in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $700,000 in restitution to the victims.
According to a U.S. Department of Justice news release, Scheuer pleaded guilty to one count of computer fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft as part of his deal with prosecutors. Scheuer initially denied his involvement in the cyberattacks, claiming that the company was attempting to frame him.
In his plea agreement, Scheuer admitted to breaching the company’s software several times from around July to September [2024]. Most notably, Scheuer added notations to certain menu items falsely indicating they were safe for people with specific allergies such as to peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish and milk, according to the agreement.
Scheuer also changed wine regions on wine menus to areas that had recently suffered mass shootings, imbedded or added a swastika to at least one menu and changed menu QR codes to direct patrons to a website that urged boycotting Israeli companies and those with significant activities there, the agreement shows.
In addition, he blocked 14 Disney employees — including some former coworkers — from their company accounts through denial-of-service attacks, records show. The accounts were set to lock after too many failed login attempts and he used a script to make automated attempts totaling over 100,000. The criminal complaint against him said some of the targeted employees were involved in his firing.
The night before his arrest, Scheuer drove to the home of one of the targeted employees shortly before 11 p.m., walked to the front door and gave a thumbs up to the Ring doorbell camera before leaving, according to the plea deal. As a result, the employee left his residence and was placed in a hotel by Disney.
Source: Orlando Sentinel
