OpenAI bugging suspect Alfozan pleads not guilty

Skip Navigation Markets Business Investing Tech Politics & Policy Video Watchlist Investing Club PRO Livestream Menu Key Points The Saudi national charged with planting a listening device in the headquarters of OpenAI while he worked there pleaded not guilty during an appearance in San Francisco federal court. Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, was sent back to jail after the brief hearing. Alfozan has been held without bail since his arrest on Oct. 9. A grand jury indicted Alfozan on Oct. 27 on a single count of interception of oral communications, court records show. Photo of Abdulrahman Alfozan checking a recording device in OpenAI's office in San Francisco, according to the Department of Justice. Courtesy: U.S. Department of Justice The Saudi national charged with planting a listening device in the headquarters of OpenAI while he worked there pleaded not guilty on Friday during an appearance in San Francisco federal court. Abdulrahman Alfozan , 35, was sent back to jail after the brief hearing. Alfozan has been held without bail since his arrest on a criminal complaint in early October. He faces a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison if convicted in the case. A grand jury indicted Alfozan on Oct. 27 on a single count of interception of oral communications, court records show. Prosecutors say that he put a recording device in a television in an executive conference room at OpenAI's offices in San Francisco on Sept. 28. Read more CNBC politics and policy coverage Midterm elections 2026 live updates: Economy, inflation and voter concerns 5 midterm election takeaways: Tech billionaires suffer as Democrats drub Republicans Elon Musk’s record election bet backfired. The backlash may reach beyond one billionaire Analysis: The Democrats have one chance to extract concessions from Trump. Markets will hate it Alfozan's lawyer declined to comment after the hearing before Magistrate Judge Peter Kang. The judge ordered Alfozan to next appear in court on Nov. 17. Alfozan is a venture partner in a Saudi Arabian venture capital firm, Raed Ventures . "He currently serves as Engineering Lead at OpenAI, with a focus on AI Agents and the data platform," Alfozan's bio page on Raed's site says. Prince Khalid Bin Bader Al Saud , a member of Saudi Arabia's royal family, is a venture partner in the same firm. Alfozan's case comes as U.S. companies such as OpenAI are making rapid advancements in developing artificial intelligence agents, and as concerns grow about the potential theft of AI tech from those companies. In June, President Donald Trump, in an executive order on AI innovation, said it was U.S. policy "to protect American ingenuity and intellectual property from exploitation and theft by adversaries; and to cultivate America's advanced AI-enabled capabilities." Trump has had a close relationship with Saudi Arabia. But he has also taken steps during his second term in the White House to limit the number of visas for highly skilled foreign workers. OpenAI earlier this year held discussions with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the country's sovereign wealth fund, about investing in the company. — Jordan Novet reported from San Francisco Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.