OMM Newsroom
Federal prosecutors in California have asked a court to detain former “OpenAI” engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan without bail, alleging he planted a listening device in an executive boardroom while maintaining ties to Saudi Arabia, Anadolu Agency reported.
Government lawyers described Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national and lawful US permanent resident, as having “what appears to be considerable support from a foreign government” that has no extradition treaty with Washington.
According to court filings, Alfozan exchanged regular messages during 2025 and 2026 with an unnamed member of the Saudi royal family, who recruited him for a national artificial intelligence project and said the kingdom needed him more than America.
Prosecutors argued that whether Alfozan sought to record “OpenAI” meetings to improve his own business prospects, assist a foreign government, or both, his conduct was criminal and posed a threat to Silicon Valley innovation and US national security.
The filings said that after Alfozan’s arrest on Oct. 9, the Saudi government initially arranged and paid for a one-way flight for his wife and infant son. When that plan fell through, a member of the Saudi military bought business-class tickets to Doha, Qatar, and the two family members left the US within 36 hours of the arrest.
Saudi authorities have not issued an official response to the Justice Department’s allegations.
US Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse denied bail on Monday and ordered Alfozan held pending trial.
