Federal prosecutors in California said on Monday that a former OpenAI engineer charged with planting a recording device received "what appears to be considerable support" from the Saudi government. The claim appears in a court filing made public late Sunday.
The defendant, Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national and lawful permanent U.S. resident, exchanged WhatsApp messages for two years with an unnamed member of the Saudi royal family, prosecutors wrote in a detention memo. In a May 2026 message, the royal family member told Alfozan, "Saudi needs you more then the US!" to which Alfozan replied "100," according to Business Insider.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex Tse ordered Alfozan held without bail, calling him a significant flight risk. The FBI took Alfozan into custody on October 9 after OpenAI security cameras recorded him looking behind a television where a recording device had been concealed on September 30. The device was plugged into the back of the TV and covered with toilet paper.
Prosecutors said OpenAI executives met with government officials in that conference room while the device was believed to be active. They argued this conduct could endanger U.S. national security.
A Saudi military official booked and paid for a one-way business-class ticket for Alfozan's wife and son to fly from San Francisco to Doha, Qatar, on October 10, the day after his arrest. His wife told FBI agents she and their son were permanently moving back to Saudi Arabia and that Alfozan intended to do the same.
Alfozan's attorney, William Pernik, argued his client was not a flight risk, noting Alfozan knew OpenAI had discovered the device eight to ten days before his arrest and did not flee. Pernik also said 70 percent of Alfozan's airline bookings since 2021 were one-way tickets.
The Saudi government did not immediately respond to requests for comment from BBC News, Al Jazeera and other outlets. Alfozan faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of using an electronic device to intercept oral communications. The investigation remains active and additional charges are possible.