Prosecutors argued Alfozan, 35, was at risk of fleeing to Saudi Arabia and had been only days from leaving before his arrest last week. In a Sunday court filing seeking his continued detention, they said his wife and young son left the United States the day after his arrest on a one-way ticket purchased by a Saudi military official.

Alfozan’s lawyer, William Pernik, argued that his client had strong ties to the United States and was close to becoming a citizen. A lawful permanent resident since 2020, Alfozan has lived in the country for 15 years, attended MIT and the University of California, Berkeley, and had a naturalization interview scheduled for next month, his lawyers said.

Pernik told the court Alfozan was willing to pledge nearly all his assets, including about $1 million in a U.S. investment account, toward bond. He also said Alfozan’s wife was willing to return to the United States and has a visitor visa valid through 2033. Judge Alex Tse questioned whether Saudi Arabia’s government might reimburse Alfozan if he fled and forfeited bond.

The defense said the family had bought one-way tickets to Saudi Arabia more than two weeks before prosecutors say the device was installed, intending to spend Alfozan’s roughly two-month paternity leave there after the birth of their U.S.-citizen son. Prosecutors said Saudi officials arranged replacement tickets after his arrest, enabling his wife and son to leave earlier than the Oct. 12 flight Alfozan had originally booked.

Prosecutors allege Alfozan concealed an audio-recording device in toilet paper and connected it to a USB port behind a television in an executive conference room he was not authorized to enter. They say surveillance footage showed him entering the room and checking behind the television after installing the device. It was found Sept. 30, after remaining there for several days, according to the filings.

The room was used for meetings involving company leaders, government officials and other executives, and could be the setting for discussions of confidential technical, commercial and strategic information, prosecutors said. They have not specified what they believe Alfozan intended to do with any recordings.

Prosecutors also said Alfozan was in frequent contact with a member of the Saudi royal family who repeatedly sought to recruit him for an artificial-intelligence venture in Saudi Arabia. According to their filing, Alfozan said he would not leave OpenAI until his stock had vested, while exploring other work opportunities in the kingdom. He had worked at the company since July 2025 and was fired after his arrest.

OpenAI has described the device as sophisticated, with encryption and audio-monitoring capabilities designed to avoid detection. The company has also said it has evidence Alfozan planned to place additional listening devices elsewhere in its office.

Alfozan is charged with using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. His next court date is scheduled for November.