Disgruntled ex-Disney World worker's 'shocking computer hack that could have killed guests'

A bitter ex-Disney World worker has been accused of hacking paper bundle and making life-threatening alterations. 

Michael Scheuer changed allergen accusation connected the resort's menus to falsely bespeak that items were peanut free, according to the criminal complaint.

The documents reads: 'Some of the changes, specified arsenic changes to prices and adding profanity to the menus, were much benign.

'However, the menace histrion besides made respective paper changes that threatened nationalist wellness and safety.' 

While employed by Disney, Scheuer was the Menu Production Manager. He was liable for publishing menus for each of the company's restaurants.

He was fired successful June for misconduct, according to the complaint, which was filed with the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

It said firing Scheuer was 'contentious and 'was not considered to beryllium amicable.'

It is alleged that during a 3 period play aft helium was terminated, helium accessed the third-party paper system, Menu Creator, from a idiosyncratic instrumentality and made the unauthorized changes.

His log-in credentials inactive worked astatine the time. But erstwhile helium mislaid entree to them, helium straight hacked the servers of the institution who created the software.

According to the complaint, employees archetypal noticed outer interference with their menus erstwhile they saw each the fonts were changed to wingdings - with uses symbols alternatively of letters and numbers. 

'As a effect of this change, each of the menus wrong the database were unusable due to the fact that the font changes propagated passim the database,' it reads.

Disney had to instrumentality the Menu Creator 'offline' for 1 oregon 2 weeks portion they tried to hole the changes Scheuer made.

At 1 point, helium adjacent created an alias - Emily P. Beaman - and created a caller relationship to effort to interruption into the system, the papers alleges. 

On August 29, astir 14 Disney employees were 'locked out' of their accounts due to the fact that Scheuer was trying to log successful with their credentials. 

Based connected Ring doorbell footage and the FBI tracking Scheuer's location, helium showed up to the location of idiosyncratic helium allegedly hacked connected the nighttime of October 22. 

'More specifically, the menace histrion developed a publication to execute automated logon attempts, and arsenic of the day of this affidavit, the menace histrion had attempted implicit 100,000 logons to the unfortunate accounts,' the ailment reads.

But the determined hacker was capable to intercept the bundle company's server, which controls the printing cues for the menus.

Scheuer's changes were printed onto the menus connected September 16, the ailment alleges. 

Disney noticed the interference earlier the menus were distributed to the restaurants. 

On September 23, FBI agents searched Scheuer's location and seized 4 computers, the ailment states.

The accused ex-staffer denied immoderate wrong-doing and alleged that Disney was trying to 'frame' him due to the fact that they are acrophobic astir the 'conditions nether which helium was terminated.'

He did admit to moving done his idiosyncratic Google Chrome illustration portion employed by Disney, according to the document. He could not accidental if helium accessed the systems aft helium was fired.

Scheuer said helium whitethorn person utilized Disney's systems to look for his 'paystubs and different fiscal information.' 

Scheuer's lawyer, David Haas, said successful a connection to NBC Miami: 'The allegations admit that nary 1 was injured oregon harmed.

'I look guardant to vigorously presenting my client's broadside of the story.'

Haas besides touched upon the circumstances of Scheuer getting fired, stating helium 'has a disablement that helium believes impacted his termination from Disney.'

On October 5, 2023, an NYU doc died aft the unit astatine a Disney edifice successful Orlando allegedly ignored her seed allergy and served her contaminated food.

Kanokporn Tangsuan, 42, and her household had dined astatine Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant, wherever she had a deadly allergic reaction.

Jeffrey Piccolo, the doctor's husband, filed a wrongful decease suit that claimed Walt Disney Parks and Resorts was negligent and failed to decently bid their unit astir nutrient allergies.

Disney attempted to dismiss the suit done a loophole successful their presumption and agreements. 

The company argued the lawsuit should beryllium sent to arbitration alternatively than a assemblage proceedings due to the fact that the presumption and agreements of creating a Disney relationship includes a 'binding arbitration clause,' tribunal records show.

'Walt Disney Parks and Resorts nevertheless improperly attempts to negate this favoritism by making the preposterous argument,' Piccolo's lawyers said.