Former OpenAI Engineer Pleads Not Guilty in Covert Device Case
Original title: Former OpenAI Engineer Pleads Not Guilty to Planting Covert Device in Executive Meeting Room
Saudi national Abdulrahman Alfozan pleaded not guilty to placing a recording device in an OpenAI executive meeting room.
Former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi national, appeared in San Francisco federal court and pleaded not guilty to interception of oral communications. Prosecutors allege he placed a sophisticated recording device in an executive conference room to record sensitive conversations. He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted. He was arrested on October 9, 2026 and held without bail.
Unconfirmed: Claims of device sophistication and contact with Saudi Royal Family from court filings
- Pled not guilty in federal court
- Charged with oral communications interception
- Device placed in OpenAI conference room
- Held without bail since October 9 arrest
- In contact with Saudi Royal Family via WhatsApp
Impact: covert audio recordings from meetings
- Vendors
- OpenAI
- Victims
- OpenAI
- Countries
- Saudi Arabia
From the original article
2 min read at thehackernews.com
The OpenAI engineer who was arrested and charged last month for planting a covert audio recording device in the company's office has pleaded not guilty. According to reports from Bloomberg and CNBC, Saudi national Abdulrahman Alfozan made an appearance in San Francisco federal court on Friday, where he entered the plea. His next hearing is scheduled for November 17, 2026.
thehackernews.com
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