Federal prosecutors assert that a former OpenAI employee appears to have received substantial assistance from the Saudi government, a detail that emerged in a filed motion intended to keep the individual detained while the criminal case moves forward. The motion argues that releasing the suspect could pose a danger to national security.
Custody decision and alleged espionage
U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse issued a ruling on Monday that the former employee, Abdulrahman Alfozan, should remain in custody. The judge ruled that the defendant should remain in custody, as his conduct could pose a danger to the national security of the United States.
The FBI took him into custody on October 9 after a criminal complaint accused him of placing a covert recording device behind a television in an OpenAI conference room where highly confidential discussions are known to occur. Investigators say the device was intended to capture audio from meetings that are typically restricted to senior staff.
OpenAIâs internal security cameras later recorded the suspect moving near the same room on several separate occasions. Review of the footage showed that he lacked any authorized badge or clearance to attend the high-level briefings that regularly took place in that space.
The complaint also contains a photograph that depicts the defendant peering behind the television screen, the exact spot where the hidden recorder was eventually discovered.
Alleged Saudi involvement
Prosecutors say that Alfozan had been in contact as recently as October 5 with an unnamed member of the Saudi Royal Family, whom he frequently communicated with on WhatsApp over the last two years. According to the filing, this line of communication had been ongoing for roughly two years, suggesting a sustained relationship.
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In a message sent in May 2026, the royal contact wrote, âSaudi needs you more then [sic] the US!â The defendant responded with the number â100,â which prosecutors interpret as an affirmation of willingness to cooperate.
An unnamed member of the Saudi military booked a flight for Alfozan’s wife and son on October 11, despite an existing reservation for an October 12 flight. The filing states that the Saudi government covered the cost of the travel, indicating direct financial support tied to the alleged espionage scheme.
Photos extracted from his iPhone allegedly display input/output panels attached to televisions and other electronic devices across multiple OpenAI facilities. One of the images shows a similar setup in a second conference room that is also used for sensitive strategic meetings, suggesting a broader pattern of equipment placement.
Prosecutors disclose meetings, notes and family logistics
According to the filing, OpenAI executives met with government officials in the very conference room where the recording device was installed. A note on Alfozanâs iPhone, modified as recently as September 13, listed âRiyadh tasksâ that included securing an apartment, finding a job for his wife, and obtaining an identification card and a Saudi passport for his son.
Another note titled “OpenAI leave” indicated an early pickup of the devices and an extension of his planned parental leave. Prosecutors added that his wife and son departed the United States without him and are now in Saudi Arabia, and that both of his parents and all but one of his siblings also reside there. Alfozan’s attorney said that the former OpenAI engineer did not pose a flight risk, arguing that if his intention was to flee, he would have done so at the time he was made aware of OpenAI finding the device. Alfozan’s attorney said that seventy percent of the airline bookings in his email since January 2021 (96 of 138) were one-way tickets.
