OpenAI Bugging Case: FBI Weighs Espionage Charge for Engineer
Federal prosecutors are evaluating whether Abdulrahman Alfozan stole trade secrets for the Saudi government after hiding a recording device in an executive meeting room.
By Madison Lewis ·
The FBI is evaluating whether to add an economic espionage count to the federal case against Abdulrahman Alfozan. This decision could determine the severity of penalties for the 35-year-old Saudi engineer accused of secretly recording conversations at OpenAI.
Prosecutors are investigating whether Alfozan stole company information to pass to the Saudi government, even without a formal recruitment order. A law-enforcement official told The Wall Street Journal that the agency is considering this charge while acknowledging the case might not result in additional counts. Alfozan’s attorney, William Pernik, stated that his client has not yet received notice of new charges from the government.
Federal records show Alfozan maintained frequent WhatsApp contact with a member of the Saudi royal family from 2025 through 2026. The court filing notes that this official attempted to recruit Alfozan for a new Saudi AI initiative. The family member reportedly wrote, “Saudi needs you more than [sic] the US!” to which Alfozan replied “100” but said he would wait for his OpenAI stock to vest before leaving.
Alfozan was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of placing a thumb-sized device containing a microphone and camera behind a television. He wrapped the device in toilet paper and plugged it into a wall outlet in a San Francisco conference room used by OpenAI executives. OpenAI discovered and removed the device on 30 September during a security sweep before notifying the FBI. Alfozan allegedly returned to the room on 5 October to check the device, which was the same day as his last recorded message to the royal family member.
Alfozan currently faces a charge of violating a federal recording statute, carrying a maximum prison sentence of five years. He studied computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and previously worked at Meta before joining OpenAI in July 2025. A San Francisco federal judge ordered his detention without bail last week due to flight risk concerns. Judge Alex Tse called the offer from the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles to pay the full bail amount “problematic.”
OpenAI is currently determining if the incident constitutes corporate espionage or state-sponsored spying. The Saudi embassy in Washington and OpenAI did not provide further comment. Alfozan’s next court hearing is scheduled for 6 November.
