In part one of this two-part episode (part two will be posted as episode 393 on 4/8/2026), retired agent and FBI-certified polygraph examiner George Olivo reviews his polygraph examination of Karina Flores Sanchez, who was suspected of murdering her live-in boyfriend. It was one of the first high-stakes examinations George conducted as a brand-new polygrapher. Based on the initial confession she gave him, Korina was convicted at trial and sentenced to State Prison for a term of 80 years to life.
“This was a state case, which fell under the FBI’s Safe Streets Initiative. I got the call on the third day of Korina’s three-day hold. So there really wasn’t much time to plan. Wanting to get experience doing these high-stakes exams, I said, sure, and I packed up my equipment, and I went over to the Harbor Division.”—Retired Agent George Olivo
George is also interviewed about the truths and untruths surrounding polygraphs, what true crime media often gets wrong about polygraph, and his latest season of Review of the polygraph examination a woman suspected of murdering her boyfriend and a discussion about the A&E Lie Detector: Truth or Deception, which premieres on A&E and Hulu on March 12 and 19, 2026.
Through this series, George has covered notable cases and tested George Anthony (Casey Anthony’s father) and Shannon Price (actor Gary Coleman’s ex-wife) – putting them through polygraph examinations.
Special Agent (Retired)
George Olivo
8/1998-12/2020
George served in the FBI for 22 years. He was assigned to the Los Angeles Division, where he worked a wide variety of complex criminal investigations and managed sensitive national security operations involving high-value targets around the globe. In 2012, George became an FBI-certified polygraph examiner. He was later promoted to Senior Polygraph Examiner for the Los Angeles Division, managing the polygraph program for the second-largest office of the FBI.
George has conducted thousands of polygraph examinations for the FBI, gaining the trust and respect of the law enforcement community. Through polygraph examinations, he has contributed to solving crimes ranging from bank robbery and homicide to missing persons, crimes against children, major theft, public corruption, fraud, extortion, and more. He has trained new FBI, federal, and local polygraph examiners and law enforcement officers in the most effective interview strategies and credibility assessment techniques.
Throughout his career, George Olivo was also called upon to conduct many high-stakes polygraph examinations involving espionage and terrorism, where finding the truth means protecting national security. As an expert authority in vetting human sources and screening potential candidates for FBI employment, Olivo was often referred to by his colleagues as “the Gatekeeper”.
Since his retirement from the FBI, George in the owner-operator of George Olivo Inc., where he continues to be a leading provider of private polygraph services to clients from various sectors and backgrounds.
As a private polygraph examiner, he conducts high-quality and confidential polygraph examinations, following FBI polygraph procedures and standards, and is federally certified to conduct polygraph examinations in all fifty states.
The following are court documents related to the cases reviewed and video clips from George’s appearance on A&E Lie Detector: Truth or Deception:
The People of the State of California vs. KORINA FLORES SANCHEZ
U.S. vs. Fernando Vazquez Garcia Indictment
A&E (VIDEO) – Matheau Moore Takes Polygraph After Wife’s Murder Trial
A&E (VIDEO) – Casey Anthony’s Parents: The Lie Detector Test
To learn more about how the FBI conducts polygraph examinations, listen to the FBI Case File Review Episode 247: Michael De La Pena – Polygraph Examiner, Boston Marathon Bombing Associate.
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