FBI Weighs Espionage Charge for OpenAI Engineer

Five years. That is the maximum prison term Abdulrahman Alfozan faces if convicted of violating a federal recording statute. The 35 year old Saudi national and US legal permanent resident was arrested earlier this month in San Francisco. He is accused of hiding a thumb sized device behind a television in an executive conference room at OpenAI. The device contained both a microphone and a camera.

According to a law enforcement official, the FBI is now considering adding an economic espionage charge. The probe questions whether Alfozan, who joined OpenAI as an engineer in July 2025, stole company information to offer to the Saudi government. This consideration applies even if he was not formally recruited for the task. The official told The Wall Street Journal that the investigation may not result in further charges.

Federal prosecutors detailed Alfozan's contact with Saudi leadership in a court filing. They state he was in frequent WhatsApp communication with an unnamed member of the Saudi royal family throughout 2025 and 2026. The family member allegedly tried to recruit Alfozan for a new AI initiative in Saudi Arabia. The court filing includes a message from the royal family member that reads, "Saudi needs you more than [sic] the US!" Alfozan replied with the number 100. He added that he would not leave until his OpenAI stock had vested.

The timeline places the final communication on 5 October. That is the same day Alfozan allegedly went to the conference room to check on his recording device. OpenAI removed the device on 30 September during a security sweep. The company contacted the FBI shortly after finding it. A source familiar with the investigation says OpenAI is trying to determine if this was corporate espionage or state sponsored spying.

Alfozan’s lawyer, William Pernik, told The Wall Street Journal that he had not received information about additional charges from the government. Last week, San Francisco federal judge Alex Tse ordered Alfozan detained without bail. The judge cited a significant risk that Alfozan would flee. Tse described the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles offer to pay the full bail amount as problematic.

Alfozan studied computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He worked at Meta and other tech firms before joining OpenAI. His next court hearing is scheduled for 6 November. The Saudi embassy in Washington and OpenAI did not comment on the case.