Former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, faces charges of intercepting oral communications. Prosecutors allege he hid a recording device inside a conference room at the company's office on September 28, 2026. The device was discovered during a security sweep on September 30, 2026.
Authorities arrested Alfozan on October 9, 2026, and unsealed the charges on October 13. The offense carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Alfozan remains in custody pending a detention hearing.
Prosecutors claim Alfozan maintained frequent contact with a member of the Saudi royal family via WhatsApp between 2025 and 2026. These communications reportedly concerned recruitment for a national AI initiative. Alfozan served as a venture partner at Raed Ventures.
Evidence presented by prosecutors includes travel arrangements for Alfozan's family, allegedly funded by a member of the Saudi military. OpenAI stated that its internal investigation found no evidence of exfiltrated source code or proprietary data.
