Fired Disney Employee Allegedly Made Potentially 'Deadly' Allergen Info Changes to Menus After Hacking Into Company System: Complaint

10/31/2024 03:15 PM

The suspect is being accused of "threatening the public health and safety" of Walt Disney World guests, per a criminal complaint filed in Florida on Oct. 23

A former Disney employee who was fired in June allegedly hacked into the company's computer system and altered the allergen information on menus, according to a federal criminal complaint. 

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on Wednesday, Oct. 23, the complaint alleges that Michael Scheuer committed a form of "computer fraud" following his termination from the company for alleged misconduct.

While the document only mentions "a media and entertainment company" called "Company A" throughout the filing, Scheuer's attorney, Davis Haas, confirmed to PEOPLE that Disney is the company involved. 

Scheuer, who formerly held the job title of "Menu Production Manager," allegedly made "several menu changes that threatened public health and safety" by hacking into an online program referred to as "Menu Creator" in the complaint. 

Related: Doctor with Severe Allergy Dies After Disney World Restaurant Allegedly 'Guaranteed' Food Was Allergen-Free: Lawsuit

Specifically, the complaint alleges that Scheuer "manipulated the allergen information on menus by adding information to some allergen notifications that indicated certain menu items were safe for individuals with peanut allergies, when in fact they could be deadly to those with peanut allergies."

While some of the altered menus were printed by Disney, they were "identified and isolated prior to being shipped out to restaurants and were not distributed further" according to the document.

Scheuer is also being accused of changing menu prices, adding profanity to menus, attempting to disable certain accounts and locking 14 employees out of their accounts over a period of three months. Per the filing, the estimated cost of damages caused by his cyberattacks amount to approximately $150,000.

"The efforts to remediate and ensure all impacted menus have been identified continues to the date of this affidavit," according to the document.  

Related: Walt Disney World Drops Bid to Dismiss Wrongful Death Lawsuit by Widower Who Subscribed to Disney+

While the complaint states that there is evidence supporting the arrest of Scheuer for his alleged crimes, the former Disney employee is denying any "involvement or wrongdoing" and alleges that the company was "attempting to frame him because they were worried about him and the conditions under which he was terminated," per the document.

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Scheuer's attorney, David Haas, shared a statement with PEOPLE on behalf of his client. 

"The criminal allegations acknowledge that no one was injured or harmed by any menu alterations. Mr. Scheuer has a mental disability that impacted his employment at Disney. He had a medical event that resulted in him being suspended," alleges Haas. 

"Disney then failed to respond to his inquiries about why he was suspended and his suspension was inexplicably changed to a termination. Disney refused to provide a response as to why he was fired and made no accommodations for his disability. He subsequently filed an EEOC complaint. I look forward to vigorously presenting my client's side of the story."

PEOPLE reached out to a representative for Disney but did not receive an immediate reply.