Photo of Abdulrahman Alfozan checking a recording device in OpenAI's office in San Francisco, according to the Department of Justice.

Courtesy: U.S. Department of Justice

The Saudi national charged with planting a listening device in the headquarters of OpenAI while he worked there pleaded not guilty on Friday during an appearance in San Francisco federal court.

Abdulrahman Alfozan , 35, was sent back to jail after the brief hearing. Alfozan has been held without bail since his arrest on a criminal complaint in early October.

He faces a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison if convicted in the case.

A grand jury indicted Alfozan on Oct. 27 on a single count of interception of oral communications, court records show.

Prosecutors say that he put a recording device in a television in an executive conference room at OpenAI's offices in San Francisco on Sept.…