# OpenAI Engineer Accused of Hiding Recording Device

> OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, faces federal charges after FBI discovered hidden recording device in San Francisco office.
- Title: OpenAI Engineer Accused of Hiding Recording Device | Shortify
- Summary: OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, faces federal charges after FBI discovered hidden recording device in San Francisco office.
- Keywords: abdulrahman alfozan, openai, fbi, recording device, san francisco, federal charges, technology, news, local, Engineer, Accused, Hiding
- Source: The San Francisco Standard — https://sfstandard.com/2026/10/14/abdulrahman-alfozan-who-openai-engineer-accused-hiding-recording-device
- Published: 2026-10-14T21:52:43+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: abdulrahman alfozan, openai, fbi, recording device, san francisco, federal charges, technology, ai, news, local
## OpenAI engineer accused
Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national, faces federal charges after FBI discovered hidden recording device in San Francisco office.

> appear wholly out of character for him
## Alfozan's tech journey
Alfozan's social media posts show his path from late teens through elite universities and tech companies like Facebook and OpenAI.

> 1st day at stanford
## Recording device found
OpenAI personnel found a recording device concealed in toilet paper plugged into a television in an executive conference room on Sept. 30.

> concealed in toilet paper
## Second device discovered
A second similar device was found in a bag Alfozan left unattended on Oct. 5, according to federal prosecutors.

> left unattended
## Alfozan's lawyer response
Alfozan's lawyer says the allegations 'appear wholly out of character for him' and he will fight to be released from custody.

> appear wholly out of character for him
## Government stance
U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian called the case 'a matter of national security' and FBI Director Kash Patel said protecting U.S. AI innovation is a top counterintelligence priority.

> a matter of national security
## OpenAI's position
OpenAI says Alfozan has no indication of improperly accessing model weights, source code, or customer data.

> no indication of improperly accessing
## Alfozan's background
Alfozan, who came to the U.S. as a young person with a dream, spent years studying and contributing to the technology sector built by immigrants.

> years studying and contributing
## Key takeaway

OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, is in federal custody accused of hiding a recording device at San Francisco headquarters.