Disney Hacker SENTENCED – Jail Time!
A fired Disney World menu manager will serve three years in prison after seeking digital revenge through dangerous menu alterations and anti-Israel political messages.
At a Glance
- Michael Scheuer, 40, was sentenced to three years in prison for hacking Disney’s computer systems after his termination
- He altered restaurant menu allergen warnings, added mass shooting locations as wine regions, and embedded QR codes promoting an Israeli company boycott
- Though the menu alterations never reached customers, his actions locked 14 Disney employees out of their accounts
- Scheuer must pay nearly $688,000 in restitution and forfeit his computer devices
Digital Sabotage After Termination
Michael Scheuer, a former “menu production manager” at Disney World, has been sentenced to three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to unauthorized access of the entertainment giant’s computer systems. The 40-year-old Winter Garden resident was fired in June for “misconduct” but exacted revenge by repeatedly hacking into Disney’s systems to make potentially dangerous alterations to restaurant menu information, including manipulating allergen warnings and inserting offensive content.
According to federal prosecutors, Scheuer accessed Disney’s secure servers using personal devices after his termination. “These intrusions included manipulating allergen information in restaurant menus to indicate that food items were safe for customers with certain allergies, when they were not,” prosecutors stated.
His digital vandalism also included changing wine region locations on menus to match recent mass shooting sites, adding a swastika, and embedding QR codes promoting the boycott of Israeli companies.
Investigation and Capture
Disney quickly flagged Scheuer as a suspect following an internal investigation of the unauthorized access incidents. In September, federal investigators seized four computers from his home, linking them to the cyber intrusions via a VPN connection.
Scheuer initially claimed Disney was attempting to frame him due to the conditions of his termination, but evidence proved otherwise. His arrest came in October after he visited a former coworker’s home and gave a thumbs-up to a Ring doorbell camera.
“We are grateful that the judge heard all of our arguments and mitigation when fashioning a sentence that was half of what the government was seeking,” said David Haas, Scheuer’s attorney.
Prosecutors had originally argued for a 70-month sentence, but the judge ultimately imposed a 36-month term. Fortunately for Disney guests, none of Scheuer’s malicious menu alterations ever reached the parks’ restaurants, and the company has since discontinued use of the software system he compromised. However, his actions did result in 14 employees being locked out of their accounts, causing significant disruption to Disney’s operations.
Sentencing and Family Impact
In addition to his prison term, Scheuer was ordered to pay $687,776 in restitution and forfeit his computer devices. He will receive credit for six months already spent in jail and could potentially be released after serving 85% of his sentence. The conviction follows his January 29 guilty plea to charges of transmitting a harmful program to a protected computer and committing aggravated identity theft.
“He remains remorseful and apologetic to the victims,” said David Haas, Scheuer’s defense attorney.
The sentence has significant implications for Scheuer’s family. According to his attorney, Scheuer was the sole financial provider, as his wife deals with numerous medical issues and homeschools their three young daughters.
Haas cited Scheuer’s disability and mental health struggles as contributing factors in his actions, noting that his client is “eager to get back home to his wife and 3 young daughters” and will be seeking employment upon release to support his family.
