Lawyer for Arrested OpenAI Engineer Calls Allegations 'Wholly Out of Character'

The attorney for a former OpenAI engineer accused of planting a recording device inside the company's San Francisco headquarters is pushing back against the charges, calling the allegations «wholly out of character» and insisting that his client's planned one-way flight to Saudi Arabia had been booked in advance.

William Pernik, the lawyer representing Abdulrahman Alfozan, acknowledged that his information remains «limited» but said he intends to respond more fully «in court of law» once he has complete details. The next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 19.

Alfozan, his wife, and their small child were set to depart San Francisco for Saudi Arabia on a one-way flight on Oct. 12. A federal complaint suggests authorities believed the trip could have been an attempt to «flee» the United States. Pernik countered that the flight was «prepaid» and that Alfozan was «surprised by the search and arrest.» The reason for the trip and the date it was booked have not been disclosed.

«The allegations appear wholly out of character for this gentleman,» Pernik said, urging the public to «refrain from jumping to conclusions based on the nature of the allegation or our client's national origin.»

Alfozan is a Saudi national and has been a legal permanent resident of the United States since 2020, according to the FBI complaint. He has lived and worked in the country since 2011, when he enrolled in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's computer science program. The FBI highlighted his Saudi nationality in its press release announcing the arrest, a detail Pernik said has become «the focal point of attention, despite many years spent living, studying, and raising his family here, like millions of other immigrants.»

His professional background includes internships at SAP and Microsoft, a five-year stint at Meta, and the founding of his own Silicon Valley startup. He joined OpenAI in July 2025, according to the company, and also became a partner at the Saudi-based venture capital firm RAED Ventures the same year. Pernik described his client as «passionate about technology and was proud to be working at OpenAI.»

OpenAI terminated Alfozan's employment on Oct. 9, the same day the FBI arrested him. The company and the bureau worked together after an OpenAI security team discovered the recording device during a routine sweep on Sept. 30. According to the complaint, Alfozan allegedly planted the device on Sept. 28 after spending more than a month planning the act using ChatGPT and an internal agentic AI tool.

«Our security program is designed to protect against a wide range of threat actors, from insider risks to cybercriminals to nation states,» OpenAI said in a statement. Neither the FBI nor OpenAI has found evidence that Alfozan leaked any information.

Pernik emphasized that his client was not charged with sharing trade secrets but rather with violating «a general federal recording statute.» He argued that while the government has a right to protect the country's intellectual property and technological assets, it «must be consistent with our values and our laws.»

«Like any other person, Mr. Alfozan is entitled to presumption of innocence and due process of law,» Pernik said. «It is our duty to ensure that he is treated fairly and justly. That's what we are going to do.»

9Views

Author

Derek Weston

Sports Writer

Derek Weston covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

All articles by this author