Earlier this month, U.S. federal agents arrested a Saudi national who had worked as an engineer at OpenAI, and accused him of installing covert recording devices in one of the company’s executive meeting rooms.
On October 19th, local time, a federal judge in California, USA, refused to grant bail for 35-year-old Abdullahrahman Al-Fazan, stating that he posed a risk of absconding. The judge also detailed his high-ranking connections in Saudi Arabia, including his ties with the royal family.
The US prosecutors also stated that the Saudi diplomatic mission provided "blank checks" for their release.
According to the Financial Times, before the hearing on the 19th, U.S. government lawyers stated that they were concerned about Al-Fazan's personal and business connections with Saudi Arabia, and believed that he had ' considerable support from foreign governments'.
On that day, the federal judge stated: 'Whether the defendant recorded the OpenAI meeting to enrich himself... or to assist foreign governments, or both, his actions are criminal. They pose a threat to innovation in Silicon Valley and raise concerns about national security.'
The prosecution stated that since at least last year, Al-Fazan has frequently exchanged WhatsApp messages with an unnamed Saudi royal member. These messages included the royal family’s attempt to recruit Al-Fazan to an artificial intelligence initiative that is currently underway in the kingdom.
For example, in May, a member of the Saudi royal family told Al-Fazan, “Saudi Arabia needs you more than the United States!” The defendant replied, “100, agreeing.”
According to court documents, the last WhatsApp message between the two was on October 5th—four days before his arrest.
According to the documents, the day after his arrest, his wife and son flew to Qatar, “using business class tickets for one-way trips booked and paid for by Saudi military officials.”
Alphonso's lawyer said his wife's brother-in-law paid for the plane tickets with his own money.
The prosecution argued that after Al-Fazan’s arrest, the Saudi Consulate booked another flight for his family, but that flight was canceled. The Consulate also offered to pay all of Al-Fazan’s bail without setting a limit.
The judge referred to the proposal from the Saudi Consulate as a “blank check” several times in court.
Alfzan Information Photos on Social Media
On October 12th, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that federal agents in the United States have arrested Abdullahhammad Al-Fazan, aged 35.
The Department of Justice stated that on September 30th, officials from OpenAI discovered a recording device plugged into a USB port on the back of a TV in a meeting room at an office building in San Francisco.
According to a criminal complaint filed by the FBI, this thumb-sized device contains a microphone and can be connected to a camera. It was hidden inside toilet paper. The device was installed around September 28th, and the stored data is encrypted and inaccessible. Investigators later discovered another similar customized device in Alfonz's carry bag.
At the hearing on the 19th, William Penick, the attorney for Alforzan, refuted the allegations.
"This gentleman is not a tourist; the government narrative portrays him as a foreign infiltrator, (as a foreigner) being placed here to steal American technology," Penny added, "He's just steps away from achieving the dream of American citizenship for every immigrant... only a few weeks short."
Pennick also said that many recording devices found at Al-Fazan’s home can be purchased online. OpenAI encourages its employees to use these devices for encoding. He mentioned that one of the devices was used to monitor a cat’s litter box. He added that OpenAI also benefits from the connections between Al-Fazan and Saudi Arabia.
