Fired Disney Employee Michael Scheuer Arrested for Changing Menu: Feds

Michael Scheuer, a fired Disney employee, allegedly manipulated the menu of the company’s restaurant, including adding false allergen information.

Completed Walt Disney World According to federal authorities, the employee is accused of manipulating the theme park’s restaurant menu, including adding profanity, changing prices and providing false allergen information that could have been “lethal to people allergic to peanuts.”

Michael Scheuer, who served as “menu production manager” at Walt Disney World before being fired on June 13, is charged with computer fraud, according to federal court records in Florida.

Scheuer was fired from theme park in Florida for “improper conduct,” according to a federal complaint filed in the Middle District of Florida. Disney, called “Company A” in the complaint, told authorities the firing was controversial and not considered “amicable.”

As part of Scheuer’s duties, he was responsible for creating and publishing menus for the entire portfolio of Disney restaurants, the complaint states. It would do this using Disney’s Secure File Transfer Protocol servers, which provide a secure method for transferring files between computers, the document continues.

“Only employees in Scheuer’s position or a position similar to Scheuer’s would have had the access and knowledge necessary to carry out the attacks described below in the manner in which they were carried out,” according to the complaint.

USA TODAY reached out to Disney on Wednesday but did not immediately receive a response.

“Scheuer has a disability that has impacted his employment with Disney.”

David Haas, Scheuer’s attorney, shared a statement with USA TODAY saying: “The criminal charges confirm that no one was injured or harmed as a result of any menu changes. Mr. Scheuer has a disability that has impacted his employment with Disney.”

Haas’ statement continued to explain that Scheuer had “a medical event resulting in his suspension.” After the incident, “Disney did not respond to his questions regarding the reasons for the suspension, and his suspension was inexplicably converted to termination,” Haas said.

“Disney refused to answer questions about why he was fired and did not provide him with any accommodations,” the statement read. “He then filed a complaint with the EEOC. I look forward to vigorously presenting my client’s side of the story.”

Scheuer “has struggled with mental problems since childhood” and “has been actively seeking the help of a psychiatrist for the past three years,” the application for temporary release reads.

How did Michael Scheuer allegedly manipulate Disney’s menu?

The charging document states that over a three-month period, Disney suffered “multiple computer intrusions into servers” related to the menu program used by Scheuer. The company learned about the hacks on July 9, and the lawsuit continued.

Scheuer used his “personal computer to carry out the attacks,” the complaint says. He also used mobile devices to commit crimes, according to a court document that described them as “sophisticated.”

The complaint says that in addition to manipulating menus, Scheuer tried to disable some accounts by launching denial-of-service attacks against them.

How was Michael Scheuer caught?

The FBI searched Scheuer’s home on September 23, the complaint states. When agents arrived, Scheuer said Disney was trying to frame him “because they were concerned about him and the conditions under which he was fired.”

Scheuer told agents he was “surprised to see the FBI” but “wouldn’t be surprised if the sheriff’s office visited him and asked him to stop sending emails that could be construed as threats.” according to the complaint.

The fired employee admitted that while he was employed there, he used his personal Google Chrome profile to conduct Disney-related activities, the charging document says. He was unable to conclusively determine whether he accessed the company’s systems after being fired because he may have accessed them to obtain pay stubs and other financial information, court proceedings continue.

The complaint states that four personal computers were confiscated from Scheuer’s home and each contained a virtual private network (VPN) that was used in at least one of the cyber incidents.

Court records show Scheuer remains in federal custody pending a Nov. 5 bond hearing.