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Prosecutors say this image shows Alfozan looking behind a television in an OpenAI conference room.\u200b | Source: Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California<\/p>\nAn OpenAI engineer has been arrested on suspicion of hiding an audio recording device in an executive conference room at the company\u2019s San Francisco headquarters, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national, was arrested Friday and charged with using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications. He made his initial appearance in federal court Tuesday and remains in custody. <\/p>\n
An unattended bag found in the company\u2019s offices contained Alfozan\u2019s wallet and identification, as well as a recording device, according to the U.S. attorney\u2019s office in San Francisco.<\/p>\n
Alfozan has worked as an engineer at OpenAI since July 2025, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n
OpenAI personnel found the device Sept. 30. It was plugged into a USB port on the back of a television in an executive conference room and had been concealed in toilet paper, the complaint says. The company determined it was installed around Sept. 28, and its contents were encrypted.<\/p>\n
Surveillance footage shows Alfozan near the room on multiple dates before the discovery, though he was not authorized to enter the room or attend meetings there, prosecutors said. Meetings in the room frequently involved confidential technical, commercial, and strategic information, including proprietary research, product plans, and government engagements, according to the complaint.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors say this image shows Alfozan looking behind a television in an OpenAI conference room.\u200b | Source: Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California<\/p>\n
Before the device was installed, Alfozan used a productivity tool to ask about OpenAI\u2019s building addresses, meeting rooms, room capacities, and calendars, as well as the locations of leadership and outside partner meetings, the complaint alleges.<\/p>\n
A chatbot account tied to Alfozan\u2019s spouse, which shared identifiers with his own account, submitted prompts between Sept. 24 and Sept. 30 about building, installing, obscuring, and remotely accessing a recording device, prosecutors said. Queries included how to \u201cbuild a continuous audio recorder\u201d and \u201cencrypt the SD card,\u201d prosecutors claimed. On Sept. 27 and 28, the account asked about the specific device that was later found, including its unique MAC address.<\/p>\n
On Oct. 5, the complaint says, Alfozan entered the conference room and appeared to look behind the television. That same day, he allegedly left a bag unattended in a different room. Security personnel who opened it found his wallet and ID, along with a second recording device similar to the first.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor us it is a matter of national security,\u201d U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian said in a statement.<\/p>\n
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A recording device with encrypted contents was allegedly discovered at an OpenAI office in San Francisco. | Source: Courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California<\/p>\n
FBI Director Kash Patel said protecting U.S. AI innovation is among the bureau\u2019s highest counterintelligence priorities. Scott Schelble, special agent in charge of the FBI\u2019s San Francisco field office, said the agency is committed to protecting sensitive research and proprietary technology.<\/p>\n
If convicted, Alfozan faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, followed by three years of supervised release. <\/p>\n
The case is being prosecuted by the National Security, Cyber & Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. attorney\u2019s office for the Northern District of California.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n