An OpenAI engineer faces a federal charge over a recording device allegedly hidden in an executive conference room at the company’s San Francisco offices. OpenAI says it fired the employee and referred the incident to the FBI, according to The Verge.
The Justice Department identified the employee as Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35. Authorities arrested him on October 9, and he made his initial federal court appearance on October 13. The charge alleges that he used or attempted to use a device to intercept oral communications. The allegations remain unproven.
What prosecutors allege
The department’s account of the complaint says OpenAI personnel found the device around September 30, plugged into a USB port behind a television. It was concealed in toilet paper, had encrypted contents and had apparently been installed around September 28.
Prosecutors say the room hosted discussions of confidential research, product plans and business strategy. They allege that security footage showed Alfozan near the room before the discovery, despite his lack of authorization to access it. The complaint also alleges that footage from October 5 showed him looking behind the television.
OpenAI security staff later found a similar recording device in a bag containing his wallet and identification, according to the complaint as described by the department. The FBI investigation continues.
What OpenAI has said
In a statement reproduced by The Verge, OpenAI said it used its models to help understand the device and identify the employee it believed had planted it. The company said it would continue to support the FBI’s investigation.
OpenAI also said that, at the time of its statement, it had no indications that the employee had improperly accessed or extracted model weights, source code or customer data.
Sources
- OpenAI employee arrested for allegedly planting a bug in a conference room. The Verge’s report and reproduction of OpenAI’s statement, October 13, 2026.
- Saudi National Arrested for Installing Surreptitious Audio Recording Device at OpenAI. Justice Department release describing the complaint and court appearance, October 13, 2026. Lead evidence image published by the Justice Department and credited in the image to U.S. v. Abdulrahman Alfozan.
