In November 2016, Robert received a diploma from the American International Institute of Polygraph. The diploma recognizes his completion of requirements of Professional Examiner Training for Psychophysiological Detection of Deception (Polygraph) with 400 hours’ study.
Robert first became interested in psychology as a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill— so much so that he chose that field as his major. While in college, he read a study by Dr. Paul Ekman, which discusses using microexpressions as a means of detecting deception. Paul Ekman & Maureen O’Sullivan, “Who Can Catch a Liar?,” 46 American Psychologist 913-920 (1991). Although applications of Ekman’s work had, up to that point, been primarily focused on business and research uses, Robert quickly realized that his methods of detecting deception could also be applied in a courtroom setting.
Later, when Robert decided to go to law school, he chose to marry his two areas of interest. As a licensed detection of deception examiner trainee, he now administers polygraphs under the supervision of M.E. Lane of Eastern North Carolina Polygraph Services, and serves as a resource for his fellow attorneys as well.
As a licensed detection of deception examiner trainee, Robert pledges committed, courteous and superior service to his colleagues.
Eastern North Carolina Polygraph Services
The founder and president of Eastern North Carolina Polygraph Services is Michael E. Lane, C.C.E. Mr. Lane is a graduate of the Institute of Applied Science and a 1995 graduate of the prestigious Virginia School of Polygraph, where he currently serves as Assistant Director.
Mr. Lane is certified by the American Polygraph Association as a Primary Polygraph Instructor, and he has a total of 37 years of law enforcement experience. Mr. Lane is a retired North Carolina State Highway Patrol Sergeant and former head of NC Highway Patrol’s Polygraph Program where he was assigned at the time of his retirement.
Mr. Lane continued his law enforcement career after his retirement with the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office where he was a detective and primary polygraph examiner until his second retirement in 2009. Upon this retirement, Mr. Lane opened his own private polygraph company Eastern North Carolina Polygraph Services, Inc., formally M.E. Lane, Inc.
Mr. Lane is a graduate of the Virginia School of Polygraph with 16 years of polygraph experience and specializes in the field of interviews and interrogation. While in law enforcement Mr. Lane received numerous valor awards to include Lifesaving, NC Highway Patrol Officer of the year and the NC Governors Award for Bravery and Heroism. Mr. Lane is a certified instructor in Firearms, Radar, Defensive Driving and Interview and Interrogations, which is his specialty area in the field of polygraph.
Mr. Lane has trained hundreds of law enforcement officers and private examiners across the county and abroad in interviewing and interrogations not only for criminal investigations, Post Conviction Sex Offender Testing examinations, but as well as in non-criminal interviews and polygraph examinations such as pre-employment screenings.
Mr. Lane holds a certificate in North Carolina in Advance Law Enforcement, Certified Law Enforcement Polygraph Examiner, Certified in Post Conviction Sex Offender Testing and is an APTAC Certified Interview and Interrogation Instructor. Mr. Lane has been the primary interview and interrogation instructor for the Virginia School of Polygraph for every basic polygraph training course since the current director, Mr. DeBow, purchased the school in 2003.
During his 27 year tenure with the highway patrol, Mr. Lane served as lead polygraph operator administering polygraph examinations for pre-employment screening and internal affairs investigations. He also served as State Polygraph Coordinator for the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, which includes the North Carolina Highway Patrol, Alcohol Law Enforcement Division, and Butner Department of Public Safety.
Prior to his retirement from the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, Mr. Lane was in charge of the polygraph examination program where he provided examinations for criminal cases, pre-employment screening, internal affairs investigations, sex offense investigations, child abuse investigations, as well as conducting interviews to procure information to determine truthfulness in Wilson and surrounding counties.
Mr. Lane is licensed by the Private Protective Services Section of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation to conduct polygraph tests. Mr. Lane is a member of the North Carolina Polygraph Association where he has served three terms as Association President. Mr. Lane is also a member of the American Polygraph Association and the American Association of Police Polygraphists and Court Accepted Polygraph Examiners.
