A US federal judge has denied bail for Abdulrahman Alfozan, a former OpenAI employee accused of installing eavesdropping devices in a confidential meeting room. The court determined that the 35-year-old defendant poses a significant flight risk, noting that his departure would effectively terminate the case.
Federal prosecutors revealed that Alfozan had been in contact with a member of the Saudi royal family regarding a job opportunity within the Saudi AI program prior to his arrest. The judge highlighted a document from the Saudi consulate in Los Angeles, which expressed a willingness to cover the full amount of any bail set by the court.
During the hearing, Judge Alex G. Tse questioned the nature of the financial support, describing the offer as a blank check. Despite the defense attorney William Pernik arguing that Alfozan is a green card holder nearing citizenship and intends to remain in the United States, the court maintained the decision to keep him in custody pending trial.
