Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi national who joined OpenAI as an engineer in July 2025, is accused of using an electronic device to intercept oral communications, according to federal prosecutors.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the suspect allegedly concealed the device to obtain sensitive information from within the company.

According to court documents, the device was wrapped in toilet paper and inserted into a USB port at the back of a television in the conference room. OpenAI employees discovered it on September 30, two days after it was allegedly installed.

Prosecutors allege that the suspect had researched the company’s offices and sensitive locations before the device was planted. Investigators also cited chatbot prompts reportedly linked to an account associated with Alfozan’s spouse, which concerned building an audio recorder, configuring Wi-Fi connectivity, improving remote listening and encrypting stored recordings.

The FBI further alleges that Alfozan returned to the conference room on October 5 to inspect the device. CCTV footage was used to link him to the location, according to the complaint.

A second similar recording device was reportedly discovered in a bag left unattended in another room at the company’s offices.

OpenAI said it used its artificial intelligence models to investigate the device and trace its origin, ultimately identifying the employee believed to have planted it.

The company said it used its models “to understand the device and where it had come from, identifying that a specific employee had planted it a few days earlier”.

The employee was subsequently dismissed. OpenAI added that it had no indication that its source code, model weights or customer data had been improperly accessed or taken in connection with the incident.

Alfozan was arrested on October 9 and appeared in federal court on October 13, according to the US Department of Justice. He faces a charge related to the alleged interception of oral communications.

If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge remains an allegation, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.