FBI Weighs Economic Espionage Charge Against OpenAI Engineer

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is evaluating an economic espionage count for Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi national accused of secretly recording executive conversations at OpenAI. A law-enforcement official told The Wall Street Journal that the bureau is determining whether the engineer stole company information to provide to the Saudi government, even if he was not formally recruited for the task. The agency has not yet decided if this inquiry will result in additional charges.

Alfozan, 35, faces existing federal charges for violating a recording statute. He was arrested in October and accused of hiding a thumb-sized microphone and camera behind a television in a San Francisco meeting room used by company executives. If convicted on the current charge, he faces a maximum prison sentence of five years. His next court appearance is set for 6 November.

OpenAI is currently assessing whether the incident was an act of corporate espionage or state-sponsored spying. The company discovered the device on 30 September during a security sweep and notified the FBI immediately. The Saudi embassy in Washington and OpenAI have not publicly commented on the investigation. Alfozan’s attorney, William Pernik, stated that his client has not received notice of any new charges from the government.

Court filings reveal that Alfozan maintained frequent WhatsApp contact with a member of the Saudi royal family throughout 2025 and 2026. The unnamed family member allegedly attempted to recruit Alfozan for a new AI initiative in Saudi Arabia. In one message, the royal family member wrote, "Saudi needs you more than [sic] the US!" Alfozan replied with "100" but stated he would not leave until his OpenAI stock vested. Prosecutors noted their last communication occurred on 5 October, the same day Alfozan allegedly visited the conference room to check the recording device.

Alfozan holds a computer science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and previously worked at Meta and other technology firms before joining OpenAI in July 2025. He is a legal permanent resident of the United States. A San Francisco federal judge ordered Alfozan detained without bail last week due to flight risk concerns. Judge Alex Tse described the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles’s offer to pay the full bail amount as "problematic."

The case has intensified scrutiny on security protocols at major AI labs. As governments and private companies compete to develop advanced artificial intelligence, the protection of confidential technical data has become a priority for federal prosecutors.