Ex-OpenAI worker accused of planting device had Saudi support, says court filing

Key points

• Prosecutors say Abdulrahman Alfozan was in frequent contact with a member of the Saudi royal family.
• Alfozan was denied bail on Monday after being deemed a flight risk pending trial.
• He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.

A former OpenAI engineer accused of planting a recording device at the company has been denied bail, with US prosecutors saying he had Saudi support. Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, was deemed a flight risk on Monday and will remain in custody pending trial.

Prosecutors said Alfozan was in frequent communication with a member of the Saudi royal family, and that a member of the country's military paid for a one-way flight to Saudi Arabia for his wife and son after his arrest. The Saudi government did not immediately respond to BBC requests for comment.

How the device was found

OpenAI found the audio recorder on 30 September, plugged into the back of a TV in a conference meeting room and covered with toilet paper. A camera was placed in the room, and on 5 October Alfozan was filmed entering and appearing to look behind the television where the device had been inserted.

The FBI arrested him on 9 October and OpenAI terminated his contract. He had worked at the company for around a year. A court filing said his alleged conduct could pose a danger to US national security, because tech firm executives met government officials in the room during the days the device was believed to have been installed.

there is a risk of non-appearance that is significant

— US district judge Alex Tse

Flight plans and bail ruling

The filing said Alfozan's arrest came three days before he was due to fly one-way from San Francisco to Riyadh with his wife and son. His wife told FBI agents her US visa was expiring and the family was moving back to Saudi Arabia permanently.

On 10 October, the day after his arrest, his wife and son flew from San Francisco to Doha, Qatar, on a one-way business class ticket booked and paid for by a Saudi military official. US district judge Alex Tse denied bail, saying "there is a risk of non-appearance that is significant". Alfozan was scheduled to appear in federal court in San Francisco later on Monday.