State, National and International Seminars
Annual General Membership Meeting and Continuing Education Training
Seminar
When: May 13-14, 2026
Up to 16 hrs. of CEU Hours
Where: Howard County Police Training Academy
2200 Scott Wheeler Dr.
Marriottsville, MD 21104
Cost: $150 for MPA members and $250 non-members
Cost includes Continental Breakfast,
Catered Lunch and afternoon snacks.
Questions?
Contact: Jeff Johnson, Seminar Chair
Email: gjjohns.mpa@gmail.com
Agenda
May 13th
0730-0800: Registration
0800-0815 Opening Remarks President Mike Lioi
0815-0830 Keynote Speaker
0830-1200 Case Study: The Polygraph of Casey Anthony’s Parents George Olivo
1200-1300: MPA provided lunch
1300-1700: Child Sex Offender Typologies Dr. Stacey Cecchet
May 14th
0800-1130: Non-verbal communication and Deception Detection Dr. Abbie Maroño and Brad Beeler
1130-1200: General Membership Meeting/Elections
1200-1300: MPA provided lunch
1300-1700: Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) & The Use of Polygraph Kevin Atkins and Brad Beeler
(Though rarely necessary, presenters and topics may change prior to the actual seminar)
Note: Any presentation materials that are provided by the speakers will be available immediately after the seminar in softcopy format. Please remember to provide a legible email address if you are interested in receiving them.
George Olivo is a retired FBI Special Agent with 22 years of federal law enforcement experience, (1998-2020). Attended NCCA in 2011. This presentation is a “Behind-the-Scenes” look at the two-hour TV special which premiered on 4 January 2024 on True Crimes A&E Network titled “Casey Anthoney’s Parents- The Lie Detector Test.” George was featured on the show and conducted the polygraph exams on both George and Cindy Anthony.
Dr. Stacey Cecchet is a forensic and operational psychologist specializing in behavioral analysis of child sexual exploitation offenders and investigative support to local, federal, and international law enforcement agencies. She serves with the Washington State ICAC Task Force and provides advanced training to specialized units across the U.S. and abroad. Her presentation offers a research-driven and field-informed examination of child sex offender typologies, grounded in her direct experience supporting active investigations and working alongside detectives and federal agents in the trenches. It will highlight how typology-specific behavioral patterns shape strategic interviewing in the pre-polygraph setting and will address verbal, paralinguistic, and behavioral indicators of deception - equipping attendees to elicit more accurate disclosures, identify risk-relevant traits, and enhance the overall efficacy of pre-test investigative interviews.
Dr. Abbie Maroño, is a behavioral and social scientist. Earning her PhD in Psychology, Abbie became a Professor of Psychology at 23 and is now the Director of Education at Social-Engineer, LLC. She is the creator of The Upper Hand, a proprietary framework for understanding human decision-making and influence, as well as an expert witness, coach, and a TEDx speaker. Brad Beeler is a Special Agent with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, where he provides interview and interrogation instruction.He retired from the U.S. Secret Service after a 25-year career, including 17 years as a polygraph examiner. This presentation examines the art and science of nonverbal communication in investigative settings, focusing on identifying indicators of distress, establishing calm authority, and building trust to facilitate cooperation and increase the likelihood of truthful disclosure. It also addresses deception detection through verbal cues and statement analysis, offering practical guidance on what to observe, how to respond, what to ask, and how subjects may respond .
Kevin Atkins has been a law enforcement officer in South Carolina since July of 1999 and has served in patrol, investigations, and administration. He joined the South Carolina Attorney General's Office in October of 2014, where he has worked as an investigator in the ICAC unit. In June of 2019 he was promoted to Chief Criminal Investigator and Commander of the South Carolina ICAC Task Force. Kevin will discuss all things ICAC, while he and Brad Beeler discuss the utility and importance of the polygraph for ICAC units.
General Membership Meeting and Elections
All but one of the MPA Board of Director positions are one year terms-all positions will be voted upon on May 14th during the General Membership meeting. Please consider running for a position. Contact MPA Chairman Ty Rupprecht if you have any questions or interest (trupprecht@gmail.com)
LUNCH
The training facility is not located near any quick food establishments. The MPA will be providing a catered lunch on both days. PLEASE RSVP ASAP to Seminar Chair Jeff Johnson - we need an accurate head count.
Please RSVP no later than 5/1/2026 via “snail” mail or email (preferred). Seating is limited. Thank you
If you wish to prepay please contact Jason Luckenbaugh, mdpolytreasurer@gmail.com for payment instructions as the MPA accepts credit cards. NONE of your payment information will be retained by the MPA once the transaction is processed.