FBI probes OpenAI engineer for espionage links to Saudi Arabia
Abdulrahman Alfozan faces federal charges after allegedly hiding a microphone in an executive conference room, with prosecutors reviewing his communications with a Saudi royal family member.
By David Mokoena ·
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is reviewing whether to file economic espionage charges against Abdulrahman Alfozan, a former engineer at OpenAI. Alfozan was arrested in October for placing a listening device in a restricted area of the company.
Law enforcement officials told the Wall Street Journal that investigators are determining if Alfozan gathered confidential data for the Saudi government. They are also weighing charges for trade secret theft, though further prosecution is not guaranteed. Alfozan, 35, is a Saudi national and U.S. permanent resident. He faces one federal charge for unlawful interception of communications, a crime carrying a maximum sentence of five years.
Prosecutors allege Alfozan hid a circuit board and microphone behind a television in a room used by OpenAI leadership. Security staff found and removed the device on October 5. They then alerted the FBI. Alfozan returned to the room that same day to retrieve the hardware.
Records show Alfozan exchanged frequent WhatsApp messages with an unnamed Saudi royal family member in 2025 and 2026. The official allegedly tried to recruit Alfozan for a Saudi AI project, writing that Saudi needed him more than the U.S. Alfozan replied with the number 100 but said he would stay at OpenAI until his stock shares vested. Their final known exchange occurred on October 5.
Alfozan bought one-way tickets to Saudi Arabia through Istanbul for himself, his wife, and their three-month-old son. He was arrested three days before the scheduled departure. Prosecutors stated his wife and son later flew to Qatar on business class tickets bought by a Saudi military official. Defense attorneys identified the official as the wife's brother-in-law and said no military funds were used. Alfozan's lawyer, William Pernik, said his client would fight the allegations in court.
Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse denied bail on October 19. The judge cited a letter from the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles offering to cover the full bail bond. Tse called the offer a blank check and found Alfozan to be a flight risk. OpenAI is currently assessing what data the device may have recorded.
Alfozan's next court appearance is set for November 6.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
