A Saudi national working as an engineer for OpenAI was charged Tuesday with secretly bugging an executive conference room at one of the company’s buildings in San Francisco.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, inserted a “a surreptitious audio recording device” into a USB port at the back of a television in the room. 

He appeared in federal court Tuesday and is charged with using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Prosecutors said the conference room frequently hosted meetings discussing sensitive proprietary research, product and business plans, as well as government engagements and commercial relationships.

According to the criminal complaint, OpenAI staff found the device on Sept. 30, around two days after it had been installed. The recordings on the device were encrypted and the device itself was described as being wrapped in toilet paper.

The television USB port and the extracted device. Images: U.S. Department of Justice

Alfozan joined OpenAI in July 2025. According to prosecutors, security footage showed him near the room several times before the device was discovered. He was not authorized to enter the room or attend the meetings being held there.

Prosecutors allege Alfozan used an internal productivity tool to search for building addresses, meeting-room calendars and locations of “leadership and exec” meetings before the device was installed.

A “chatbot account associated with Alfozan’s spouse (which shared multiple identifiers and attributes with Alfozan’s own chatbot account)” was found to have submitted prompts specifically relating to building, installing and remotely accessing the recording device.

Security footage captured a week after the device was initially discovered showed Alfozan entering the conference room and apparently checking behind the television. That day, OpenAI security found a bag he had left unattended containing his wallet, ID and a second, similar recording device.

 FBI Director Kash Patel said “protecting American SI [super intelligence] innovation is essential to safeguarding our nation’s economic strength and national security,” using President Donald Trump's preferred term, “super intelligence,” for artificial intelligence.

Prosecutors have not identified an intended recipient of the recordings or alleged Alfozan was acting for a foreign government.