Ex-OpenAI worker accused of bugging conference room planned to fly to Saudi Arabia, prosecutors say
Prosecutors have not said what Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national, might have wanted to do with the recordings, but say he was in "frequent communication" with a member of the Saudi royal family.
A former OpenAI engineer, Abdulrahman Alfozan, was arrested after allegedly installing secretive recording devices in a conference room to gather company information. According to prosecutors, Alfozan, a Saudi national, had intended to flee to Saudi Arabia within days of his arrest, as evidenced by his wife and young son's booked and paid one-way tickets through a Saudi military official.
His lawyers argued that Alfozan had ample resources, including compensation from high-tech jobs, bank accounts in Saudi Arabia, and plans to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. They further claimed that Alfozan was on track to return to the Bay Area with his family after their planned two-month paternity leave in Saudi Arabia. Federal prosecutors, however, emphasized Alfozan's connections to a member of the Saudi royal family and his intent to access confidential information, suggesting he could pose a significant threat if released. The judge will consider these arguments in federal court in San Francisco.
Written by urgent.news from PBS NewsHour's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
