Technology·15 October 2026·1 min readTechnical readSource-backed

FBI Arrests OpenAI Engineer Accused of Hiding Recording Device in Restricted Conference Room

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Federal authorities have arrested an OpenAI engineer accused of hiding a recording device behind a television in a restricted executive conference room. The FBI charged Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old U.S. legal resident from Saudi Arabia, with foreign spy offenses. According to an FBI affidavit, Alfozan used an OpenAI productivity agent in August to track sensitive meeting times and locations.

Investigators say he wrapped a Chinese-made Seeed XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense recording device in toilet paper and plugged it into a conference room TV on September 28. OpenAI discovered the bug two days later and found its contents encrypted. After OpenAI installed a covert camera, CCTV footage allegedly captured Alfozan trying to retrieve the device on October 5.

Security personnel also found a second recording device inside an unattended bag left in a printer room. If convicted of unlawful recording charges, Alfozan faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. OpenAI slowly restricted his systems access while cooperating with the FBI before firing him on the day of his arrest.

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SOURCE & ATTRIBUTION

Ars Technica

Original author: Ashley Belanger

Original publication: 14 October 2026 22:11

Read full story on Ars Technica ↗

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STORY TITLE:
FBI Arrests OpenAI Engineer Accused of Hiding Recording Device in Restricted Conference Room
SOURCE:
Ars Technica
ORIGINAL URL:
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/10/fbi-arrests-openai-engineer-suspected-of-planting-bug-in-conference-room/

SOURCE EXCERPT:
OpenAI engineer faces 5 years and $250K fine as FBI lobs foreign spy charges.

Last updated 15 October 2026 01:27

Original sourceArs Technica ↗