- Raids & Arrests
- Nov 5, 2026
California OpenAI Engineer ARRESTED As FBI FINDS Hidden Recording Device & Faces 5 Years Prison Time
On September 30, 2026, OpenAI’s security team found a recording device plugged into the back of a TV in an executive conference room at its San Francisco offices, wrapped in toilet paper. Ten days later, the FBI arrested one of the company’s own engineers. Prosecutors say Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, researched OpenAI’s meeting rooms and leadership calendars before the device appeared, then went back to check on it five days after it was found.
So who was he recording for?
News clips are used for commentary, criticism and reporting under fair use. Sam Altman photo: TechCrunch, CC BY 2.0.
Presumption of innocence
How OpenAI found the device and what was inside it The searches and security footage prosecutors say point to him The second device found in his bag The chatbot prompts described in the complaint What OpenAI says was not taken What he is charged with and what he faces What the public record still does not show Abdulrahman Alfozan has been charged by criminal complaint with using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications. He has not been indicted or convicted and is presumed innocent. A detention hearing is set for October 19, 2026.
Sources
U.S. Department of Justice · CBS News · NBC News · CNBC · Al Jazeera · San Francisco Standard · news.com.au.
