An OpenAI engineer has been arrested on charges of installing a recording device in a company conference room, the Justice Department announced. Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California following his arrest last Friday.
Alfozan is accused of using electronic means to intercept oral communications within the company. According to prosecutors, he began working at OpenAI in July 2025. The incident came to light on September 30 when employees discovered an audio recording device connected to a USB port on a television in a private conference room.
The device was hidden in toilet paper and likely installed two days before its discovery. The room was regularly used for discussions on confidential matters like research and business plans, according to the Justice Department.
OpenAI acknowledged the incident and stated immediate actions were taken, including contacting the FBI and terminating Alfozan’s employment. “We are cooperating fully with the FBI’s ongoing investigation. There are no signs of inappropriate access to sensitive data such as model weights, source code, or customer data,” a company spokesperson stated.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest on a social media post, noting the investigation’s continuation. The criminal complaint detailed that Alfozan sought information via a productivity tool about the company’s building and meeting specifics. Additionally, investigative findings revealed that a chatbot account linked to Alfozan’s spouse queried topics related to constructing and managing audio recording devices.
A complaint photograph indicated that Alfozan was observed in the conference room on October 5, examining the area behind the television. That same day, he left a bag unattended in another room, where security personnel later discovered his ID, wallet, and a recording device similar to the one found earlier.
Alfozan is scheduled for another court appearance on October 19 for a detention hearing. CBS News reached out to his legal counsel for comments.
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