FBI Weighs Additional Economic Espionage Charges Against Former Employee in OpenAI Wiretapping Case
A U.S. law enforcement official said the FBI is considering additional economic espionage charges against former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfouzan, who currently faces wiretapping charges for allegedly secretly installing a listening device in a restricted-access conference room. The core of the investigation is whether he stole information from OpenAI to provide to the Saudi government; authorities are also investigating whether trade secret theft is involved, and ultimately no additional charges may be filed. Alfouzan's lawyer said he has not received any information from the U.S. side about possible additional charges, and both the Saudi Embassy in Washington and OpenAI declined to comment.
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A report discloses that the FBI is evaluating additional economic espionage charges against a former OpenAI engineer involved in a wiretapping case, allowing readers to understand the scope and possible direction of the investigation.
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Charges Escalating? FBI Weighs Additional Economic Espionage Charges Against Employee in OpenAI Wiretapping Case
Phoenix Tech Download the App for Exclusive Early Access October 25, 2026, 08:29:12 From Beijing
Alfozan suspected of installing a wiretapping device
Phoenix Tech News, October 25 (Beijing Time) — According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, a U.S. law enforcement official said the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is considering adding an economic espionage charge against former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan. Alfozan currently faces wiretapping charges for allegedly secretly installing a wiretapping device in a restricted-access conference room.
The official said the core of the investigation is whether Alfozan stole information from OpenAI to provide to the Saudi government, even if he was not recruited to do so.
The law enforcement official said that, in addition to suspicions of economic espionage, the ongoing U.S. government investigation is also examining whether Alfozan committed crimes such as theft of trade secrets. The official said the investigation may also ultimately result in no additional charges.
Alfozan's lawyer, William Pernik, said he had not received any information from the U.S. government about possible additional charges. He said: "We have made it very clear that Mr. Alfozan will contest these charges and allegations in court, not in the media."
The FBI's exploration of economic espionage charges does not necessarily mean the U.S. government will accuse Alfozan of acting at the direction of the Saudi government. Instead, the charges may be based on the claim that Alfozan planned to later sell the information he allegedly collected to the Saudi side.
As of publication, the Saudi Embassy in Washington and OpenAI both declined to comment. (Author/Xiao Yu)
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