A federal judge in the United States has ordered a former OpenAI engineer held without bail. Abdulrahman Alfozan is accused of planting a recording device at the company’s San Francisco offices. The judge ruled on Monday that he is a flight risk.
US District Judge Alex Tse found a “significant” risk that Alfozan, 35, would not show up for court. He rejected the defence team’s request for release.
Alfozan appeared in orange prison clothing. He did not speak during the hour-long hearing.
What Alfozan Is Accused Of
Police arrested Alfozan on October 9. He faces up to five years in prison on charges of intercepting oral communications. He has worked at OpenAI since 2025.
The Justice Department said security cameras caught him in a restricted conference room. He appeared to check behind the television. A USB recording device wrapped in toilet paper had been placed there.
The complaint does not accuse him of spying. However, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton hinted last week that the case carries national security weight.
A new court filing goes further. It says the investigation is ongoing and “may result in additional serious charges.” It calls the matter a concern for US national security.
Prosecutors wrote that his conduct is criminal either way. He may have wanted to boost his own business prospects, or to help a foreign government, or both.
Prosecutors Point to Saudi Ties
Prosecutors argued against bail by citing Alfozan’s frequent contact with an unnamed Saudi royal family member. That person repeatedly tried to recruit him for an AI project in Saudi Arabia.
In one WhatsApp exchange, the royal wrote that Saudi Arabia needs him more than the US does. Alfozan replied “100,” a common sign of agreement.
Alfozan also bought a one-way ticket to Riyadh for October 12, before his arrest. His wife and baby left the US on October 10, a day after he was arrested. According to prosecutors, a Saudi military official paid for their tickets.
Prosecutors also noted that the US and Saudi Arabia have no extradition treaty.
Defence Says He Is Not a Flight Risk
Alfozan’s lawyer, William Pernik, disputed the claim. He said his client had a US naturalisation interview set for November 6. The defence added that Alfozan was working towards citizenship and could put up $1 million in assets as bail.
Judge Tse was not persuaded. “Once he leaves, there’s no getting him back, the case goes away, and that is why this is a bigger case,” he said in court.
The next hearing is set for November 6.
Backdrop of the Global AI Race
The case comes as countries and companies compete fiercely to lead in artificial intelligence. The Trump administration has pushed for the field to be rebranded as “superintelligence.”
Saudi ties to US tech have drawn attention before. Saudi state-backed AI firm Humain invested $3 billion in Elon Musk’s xAI shortly before SpaceX acquired the AI division in February. The division, now called SpaceXAI, announced last year that it would build a 500-megawatt data centre in Saudi Arabia with Humain.
Prosecutors also referred to an earlier case involving Twitter. In 2022, former employee Ahmad Abouammo was found guilty of spying for Saudi officials. Another ex-Twitter employee, Ali Alzabarah, was accused of similar conduct but left the US before charges were filed.
