per usnews: The FBI has charged an OpenAI engineer with hiding a thumb-sized recorder wrapped in toilet paper in an executive conference room.

Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national, was arrested, he joined OpenAI in July 2025, if convicted, he faces up to 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine.

Staff found his hidden a thumb-sized recorder wrapped in toilet paper on September 30 in a USB port behind a television in one of OpenAI’s San Francisco buildings, about 2 days after installation.

It had a microphone and could link to a camera, but its stored data was encrypted and inaccessible.

OpenAI then added a camera to the room, which caught Alfozan entering and checking behind the television on October 5.

That day, security staff opened a bag he had left unattended in another room and found his wallet, ID and a second, similar recorder.

The FBI complaint says he had spent about a month, ending September 16, asking an AI productivity agent about meeting-room calendars and capabilities.

OpenAI says its internal AI models identified him and traced the device, and that it has evidence he planned to deploy more recorders.

No motive or recipient has been alleged, so the case’s weight turns on whether the FBI can show who the recordings were for.