# Judge Orders OpenAI Engineer Held in Office Recorder Case

> U.S. Magistrate Judge orders former OpenAI engineer held in custody for alleged office recorder installation.
- Title: Judge Orders OpenAI Engineer Held in Office Recorder Case
- Summary: U.S. Magistrate Judge orders former OpenAI engineer held in custody for alleged office recorder installation. Former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan was…
- Keywords: abdurrahman alfozan, openai, u.s. magistrate judge alex g. tse, office recorder, saudi royal family, concealed device, custody order, crypto, finance, Judge, Orders, Engineer
- Source: TokenPost — https://tokenpost.com/news/regulation/35325
- Published: 2026-10-20T05:24:44+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: abdurrahman alfozan, openai, u.s. magistrate judge alex g. tse, office recorder, saudi royal family, concealed device, custody order, crypto, finance
## Judge Orders Custody
U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse ordered former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan held in custody Oct. 19 after finding he risked fleeing while facing a charge involving a concealed office recorder.
## Prosecutors' Access Claims
Prosecutors say browsing history on Alfozan’s phone showed access to a folder labeled 'Saudi Gov Docs' on Oct. 4, and he exchanged messages with a Saudi royal family member in 2025 and 2026.
## Recorder Installation Timeline
OpenAI discovered a recorder behind a conference-room television Sept. 30; prosecutors allege Alfozan installed it around Sept. 28, and staff found a similar device in his unattended bag about Oct. 5.
## Flight and Payment Dispute
Alfozan planned a one-way flight to Riyadh on Oct. 12; his wife and son left the U.S. on Oct. 10 to Doha, Qatar, with prosecutors later saying they were in Saudi Arabia.
## Key takeaway

Former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan was held in custody after a U.S. magistrate judge found he risked fleeing while facing charges related to installing a concealed office recorder.