FBI Probes Former OpenAI Engineer for Espionage

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 24th, citing law enforcement officials, that the FBI is investigating whether it can bring additional economic espionage and trade secret theft charges against former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan. Investigators are examining whether he took company secrets to provide them to the Saudi Arabian government. Depending on the findings, prosecutors may decide not to bring additional charges.

Alfozan has already been charged with installing a listening device in a restricted conference room mainly used by OpenAI executives. Investigators are examining whether he intended to later give or sell the information to Saudi Arabia, even without direct instructions from the Saudi government. Officials said that examining an economic espionage charge does not mean they have concluded the Saudi government directed him. His lawyer, William Pernick, said the government had not notified him of any additional charges and that he would contest the allegations in court, not through the media.

Alfozan, 35, is a Saudi national and a U.S. permanent resident. He studied computer science at MIT, worked at Meta and other companies, and joined OpenAI in 2025. Prosecutors allege that he wrapped a thumb-sized circuit board and microphone in toilet paper and hid them behind a wall-mounted TV in a conference room mainly used by executives. The device was allegedly intended to secretly record internal conversations. His current charge is a violation of federal recording laws, which carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison upon conviction. His next court hearing is scheduled for November 6.

Prosecutors allege that Alfozan discussed taking part in local AI ventures with members of the Saudi royal family and tried to retrieve the listening device on October 5. They also cited his booking of a one-way ticket to Saudi Arabia shortly before leaving the country and his sending his wife and son ahead as reasons to consider him a flight risk. A judge denied his release at a bail hearing on the 19th, finding that the risk of flight was high. The hearing also addressed a letter from the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles offering to cover the full bail amount. Judge Alex G. Tse questioned the pledge, asking whether the consulate would pay even if bail reached $10 million.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 24th, citing law enforcement officials, that the FBI is investigating whether it can bring additional economic espionage and trade secret theft charges against former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan. Investigators are examining whether he took company secrets to provide them to the Saudi Arabian government. Depending on the findings, prosecutors may decide not to bring additional charges.

Alfozan has already been charged with installing a listening device in a restricted conference room mainly used by OpenAI executives. Investigators are examining whether he intended to later give or sell the information to Saudi Arabia, even without direct instructions from the Saudi government. Officials said that examining an economic espionage charge does not mean they have concluded the Saudi government directed him. His lawyer, William Pernick, said the government had not notified him of any additional charges and that he would contest the allegations in court, not through the media.

Alfozan, 35, is a Saudi national and a U.S. permanent resident. He studied computer science at MIT, worked at Meta and other companies, and joined OpenAI in 2025. Prosecutors allege that he wrapped a thumb-sized circuit board and microphone in toilet paper and hid them behind a wall-mounted TV in a conference room mainly used by executives. The device was allegedly intended to secretly record internal conversations. His current charge is a violation of federal recording laws, which carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison upon conviction. His next court hearing is scheduled for November 6.

Prosecutors allege that Alfozan discussed taking part in local AI ventures with members of the Saudi royal family and tried to retrieve the listening device on October 5. They also cited his booking of a one-way ticket to Saudi Arabia shortly before leaving the country and his sending his wife and son ahead as reasons to consider him a flight risk. A judge denied his release at a bail hearing on the 19th, finding that the risk of flight was high. The hearing also addressed a letter from the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles offering to cover the full bail amount. Judge Alex G. Tse questioned the pledge, asking whether the consulate would pay even if bail reached $10 million.