# OpenAI engineer charged over spy device had booked escape

> Abdulrahman Alfozan, arrested for planting hidden recording devices at OpenAI, had one-way tickets to Saudi Arabia booked for three days after his arrest.
- Title: OpenAI engineer charged over spy device had booked escape
- Summary: Abdulrahman Alfozan, arrested for planting hidden recording devices at OpenAI, had one-way tickets to Saudi Arabia booked for three days after his arrest…
- Keywords: abdulrahman alfozan, openai, hidden recording device, arrest, national security, fbi investigation, technology, startups, engineer, charged, spy, device
- Source: The Next Web — https://thenextweb.com/news/openai-engineer-charged-one-way-ticket
- Author: Ana Maria Constantin
- Published: 2026-10-14T19:58:31+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: abdulrahman alfozan, openai, hidden recording device, arrest, national security, fbi investigation, technology, startups
## Engineer arrested over spy devices
Abdulrahman Alfozan, thirty five, an OpenAI engineer, was arrested on October ninth after hidden recording devices were found at the company's offices.
## One-way tickets booked for escape
Court filings show Alfozan had booked one-way tickets to Saudi Arabia via Istanbul for October twelfth, three days after his arrest, with his wife and another family member.
## Devices found in executive conference room
One device was found on September thirtieth behind a television in an executive conference room. A second was allegedly found on October fifth in an unattended bag.
## FBI treats case as national security matter
The FBI is investigating with assistance from the National Security Division's counterintelligence section. The US attorney called it a matter of national security. Alfozan faces up to five years in prison.
## Key takeaway

OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan, charged with planting hidden recording devices, had one-way tickets to Saudi Arabia booked for October twelfth, three days after his October ninth arrest.