Judge Keeps Former OpenAI Engineer Accused of Bugging Conference Room in Custody
A US federal judge in San Francisco ruled on Monday that former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan must remain in custody until trial. The judge cited concerns about his ties to Saudi Arabia and a flight risk.
A federal magistrate judge in San Francisco, Alex Tse, ruled on Monday that Abdulrahman Alfozan, a former engineer at the artificial intelligence company OpenAI, must stay in custody while awaiting trial. Alfozan is accused of planting a covert listening device in a company conference room. The judge said he was worried about Alfozan's ties to Saudi Arabia and the risk that he could flee.
The court's concerns
US prosecutors argued that the Saudi government has offered to support Alfozan with no strings attached. They noted that the Saudi consulate had offered to work with a bail bonds firm to help fund his release. Tse called such a government-backed bond problematic and likened it to a blank check, saying he was more interested in assets put up by family members. He warned that once Alfozan leaves, the case could effectively be over.
Alfozan's attorney, William Pernik, dismissed the flight concerns as baseless. He said there was no evidence of spying for Saudi Arabia and noted the room was open to anyone. After the hour-long hearing, he said he was disappointed and would keep fighting the ruling.
Prosecutors' allegations
Alfozan is a US permanent resident who had been on the path to citizenship. Prosecutors allege that throughout 2025 and 2026 he communicated frequently over WhatsApp with a member of the Saudi royal family, who was recruiting him to return to work on an upcoming AI initiative. Authorities have not offered a motive.
OpenAI found the device, hidden in a wad of toilet paper behind a TV in an executive conference room, in late September. The company linked it to Alfozan and fired him earlier this month, just before the FBI arrested him. He faces up to five years in prison on one count of using a device to intercept communications, and further charges are possible. His defense says electronics found at his home were for home monitoring projects.
His next court date is set for November 6.
