Former OpenAI Engineer Charged With Planting Hidden Recorder; Prosecutors Say He Booked One-Way Flight to Saudi Arabia

A former OpenAI engineer has been charged in federal court with secretly planting a recording device in an executive conference room at the company's San Francisco offices. Newly unsealed court filings show prosecutors told a judge he had booked a one-way flight to Saudi Arabia before he was arrested.

Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national and U.S. permanent resident, is charged with one count of using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications, CBS News reported. He has not been indicted or convicted, and he is presumed innocent. His lawyer has said the allegations are out of character and that the defense will contest the charge.

What Prosecutors Allege

According to the criminal complaint and an FBI affidavit, as described by the San Francisco Standard, Reuters and the Associated Press:

• Around Sept. 28, a thumb-sized recorder was hidden in toilet paper and plugged into a USB port on the back of a TV in an executive conference room.
• OpenAI staff found it on Sept. 30 during a security sweep, and the company cut Alfozan's access that day.
• Security cameras had shown him near the room about six times in the previous month, even though he did not have access to it, the AP reported.
• On Oct. 5, he was seen in the room checking behind the TV. The same day, security found a bag he had left behind containing his wallet, ID and a second, similar recorder.
• He allegedly used an internal company tool to look up room locations, calendars and where leadership meetings were held.

The complaint does not say what he intended to do with any recordings. OpenAI said it found no sign that he accessed model weights, source code or customer data.

The One-Way Flight

In an Oct. 8 motion to keep the complaint sealed, prosecutors said Alfozan had booked one-way tickets from San Francisco to Saudi Arabia, by way of Istanbul, for Oct. 12, along with his wife and another family member, according to Gizmodo, citing Bloomberg. Prosecutors argued he had the means and incentive to flee. It is not clear when the tickets were bought. The filing was unsealed on Wednesday, Oct. 14.

Who Is Abdulrahman Alfozan?

Prosecutors say Alfozan joined OpenAI as an engineer in July 2025. OpenAI says he worked on its product team. He is also listed as a venture partner at Raed Ventures, a venture capital firm in Riyadh; the complaint does not allege the firm knew about the recorder. OpenAI fired him on the day of his arrest.

What Officials and the Defense Say

U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian said the office views the case as a matter of national security, according to the Standard. FBI Director Kash Patel said Alfozan allegedly sought to secretly capture sensitive communications, Reuters reported.

Defense attorney William Pernik urged the public not to jump to conclusions at an early stage and cautioned against politicizing the case because of his client's nationality, CBS News reported.

What's Next

Alfozan remains in custody. A detention hearing is set for Monday, Oct. 19, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse in the Northern District of California. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

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