247: Michael De La Pena – Polygraph Examiner, Boston Marathon Bombing Associate

In this episode, retired agent Michael De La Pena reviews his polygraph examination of Robel Phillipos, a friend of the Boston Marathon bombers, convicted in 2015 of lying to authorities investigating the terrorist act.

During the attack, orchestrated by brothers Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, three people were killed and more than 260 injured.

“That’s what was so frustrating. Out of a loyalty to his friends, Robel would not admit that he was in the room with them and that they threw out the backpack.”–Retired Agent Michael De La Pena

Mike also reviews the training and duties of a good polygraph examiner. During his career, Mike became a certified hostage negotiator and undercover operative, and trained as a polygraph examiner at the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute in Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

Special Agent (Retired)

Michael De La Pena

7/1990 – 12/2019

Retired agent Michael De La Pena served in the FBI for nearly 30 years. Mike was assigned to the New Haven, San Juan, and Boston Divisions, where he investigated bank robberies, armored car robberies, civil rights violations, fugitive matters, and terrorism cases. In Boston, before becoming a full-time examiner, he worked for six years on an anti-narcotics squad.

He has more than 20 years of polygraph service, conducting approximately 2,500 exams across the United States, Central and South America, and Iraq.

As the son of Cuban refugees, he is a fluent Spanish speaker and can conduct polygraph examinations in Spanish.

Michael De La Pena is the author of the Coyote Wars Trilogy, an FBI suspense series featuring a family of domestic terrorists and the polygraph examiner who discovers their plot to bring the country to its knees.

His series includes The Coyote Wars, The Last Coyote, and Coyote Rising in addition to a prequel, The Devil’s Henchmen. He currently works as a private polygraph examiner for ORTSEC LLC, a private security company. Mike has been a featured speaker on polygraph cases and concepts at the American Polygraph Association and other polygraph groups in Singapore and Ukraine at the invitation of those governments.

The following are news articles about the Boston Marathon Bombings associate Robel Phillipos:

FBI.gov website: Three Men Arrested in Connection with Marathon Bombing Investigation

Boston 25 News – 10/7/2014:  Marathon bombing suspect’s friend was told to be on ‘Team America’

Boston Herald – 10/28/2014: Tsarnaev pal Robel Phillipos convicted of lying to FBI

Boston Herald – 2/26/2018: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s college pal Rubel Phillips slated for release today

You may also want to listen to Episode 250: Richard DesLauriers – Boston Marathon Bombing