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NY MTA Terminates Polygraph Services with Dan Ribacoff’s Company as More Racist Texts Surface

By Jeffrey Augustine

Less than a week after the NY Daily News’ released their bombshell report on alleged racial “gatekeeping” at the NY Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) involving polygraph exams of new job applicants, more highly disturbing racist text messages, allegedly sent by celebrity polygraph expert and private investigator Daniel “Dan” Ribacoff, have surfaced. Prior to the Daily News story, Ribacoff’s company InDepth Polygraphs had been providing polygraph services to the MTA.

More Racist Texts, Allegedly Sent by Dan Ribacoff, Surface

DCPI has obtained more racist text messages, which appear to have been allegedly sent by Daniel Ribacoff to several private investigators in late 2017 from a telephone number linked to the Los Angeles website of International Investigative Group (IIGPI), Ribacoff’s private investigation firm. Within hours of the Daily News’ publication of the first set of racially charged texts, allegedly sent by Ribacoff, the MTA released a statement canceling all remaining polygraph examinations scheduled with Ribacoff’s company, InDepth Polygraphs.

The Phone Number Which the Alleged Racist Text Messages Came From is also Listed as the Contact Number for the Los Angeles office of Dan Ribacoff’s Company IIGPI

This story came to light after a Black NYPD officer, Jonathan Carter, applied for a position with the MTA Police Department, failed a polygraph examination given by Lisa Ribacoff, Dan Ribacoff’s daughter, and subsequently filed a complaint with the US EEOC against the MTA alleging racial discrimination.


Offensive content follows

In this text message image, allegedly sent by Dan Ribacoff on 9/28/17 at 8:45:14 PM EDT, the Elmo character from the PBS Television Program Sesame Street is talking to a Black child. The following quote appears below the image “Elmo tells a local colored child that this was nice neighborhood before his kind started showing up”

In this text message image, allegedly sent by Dan Ribacoff on 10/26/17 at 8:53:50 EDT, a White police officer is talking to a Black male while the Black male sits inside his vehicle. The following quote appears above the image “Cop: I pulled you over for not using turning signals  Me: Sorry officer. Can’t let these niggas know my next move”
In this text message image, allegedly sent by Dan Ribacoff on 9/28/17 at 8:46:06 EDT, the Big Bird character from the PBS Television Program Sesame Street is talking to a Black couple. The following quote appears below the image “Big Bird informs the new neighbors that their kind isn’t welcome here.”

In this text message image, allegedly sent by Dan Ribacoff on 9/27/17 at 4:57:48 EDT, the Big Bird character from the PBS Television Program Sesame Street is talking to a young Black child in a field. The following quote appears below the image “Big Bird attempts to kidnap a small black child hoping that he can try to pass it off as a monkey and sell it to the traveling circus in town.”

Daniel Ribacoff did Not Deny Sending Racist Text Messages

Ribacoff’s attorney released an email statement to antipolygraph.org after the first set of racist texts had been published on their blog claiming his client had “no recollection” of sending the text messages referenced. However, he did not deny that Ribacoff sent them.

Email statement released to antipolygraph.org by Ribacoff’s attorney on October 3, 2021

 Following Publication of Racist Texts: MTA Cancels Polygraph Services with Ribacoff’s Company and The Steve Wilkos Show Removes Dan Ribacoff from the show’s official website

In addition to the MTA’s cancellation of remaining polygraph services from Ribacoff’s company InDepth Polygraphs, NBCUniversal’s The Steve Wilkos Show nationally syndicated television program has removed Ribacoff, who previously appeared as the shows’ “Polygraph Expert” for the last several years, from the shows official website and Ribacoff hasn’t been seen in any new episodes since October 2021.

On November 1, 2021, shortly after the first batch of Ribacoff’s alleged racist texts were published by the blog angiograph.org, Steve Wilkos himself announced on local morning programs a sudden mid-season shift for the show minimizing the role that polygraphs serve. To date, both NBCUnivseral and the Steve Wilkos Show have not issued any official statements regarding the discovery of the alleged racist text messages sent by Ribacoff and have declined DCPI’s requests for comment.

Daniel Ribacoff (left) who previously appeared as the “Polygraph Expert” on the Steve Wilkos Show, is no longer featured as a “team” member on the show’s official website (right)

The Implications are Potentially Staggering for Subjects Who’ve Failed Ribacoff’s Polygraph Exams

The implications of Ribacoff’s alleged racist text messages are staggering, to say the least. The role of a polygraph examiner should be objective, without any bias toward the subject. NBCUniversal is undoubtedly aware that Ribacoff himself likely conducted countless polygraph examinations of Black and other minority guests on the Steve Wilkos Show over the years, many of whom failed the tests and were subsequently humiliated on national television.

Daniel Ribacoff and his daughter, Lisa Ribacoff, have conducted and scored countless polygraph examinations for new job applicants, not only for the MTA, but for many other government agencies, corporations, and private individuals. The recent publication of the text messages in question, which indicate alleged strong racial bias, raises serious questions regarding the validity of Ribacoff’s polygraph examinations:

  1. With the racist text messages exposed, how could any entity, business, legal, personal, or governmental agency rely on the accuracy of Ribacoff’s, InDepth Polygraphs, or IIGPI’s polygraph examination results?
  2. How many Black and other minority subjects, employees, job applicants, and falsely accused individuals failed Ribacoff’s polygraph examinations over the years and how many lives were subsequently affected by such test failures?

DCPI Contacts the American Polygraph Association for Comment

In addition to NBCUniversal and The Steve Wilkos Show, DCPI reached out to the American Polygraph Association (APA) for comment regarding Ribacoff’s alleged racist text messages and their implications for the polygraph industry. DCPI spoke with Mr. Roy Ortiz, president of the APA, who stated that the APA does not comment on matters involving litigation.

The APA’s refusal to comment on Ribacoff’s alleged racist text messages, the fact that he didn’t deny sending them, and how they may affect the legitimacy of his polygraphs raises red flags. How could a national association which promotes itself as the premiere organization of polygraph professionals turn a blind eye to an alleged racist polygraph operator who may be one of its most prominent members?

Dan Ribacoff’s daughter, Lisa Ribacoff, is a Director of the APA

In this enhanced photo from APA’s website, Lisa Ribacoff of IIGPI appears with Directors of the American Polygraph Association

In the course of our research, we discovered that Dan Ribacoff’s daughter, Lisa Ribacoff, is a current director and board member of the American Polygraph Association. Given the serious implications of the racist messages allegedly sent by the father and CEO of Lisa Ribacoff’s company InDepth Polygraphs, the APA should require Ms. Ribacoff to recuse herself from participating as a Director of their organization in order to maintain a minimal level of integrity.

In addition to the recent racist text message allegations, according to the NY Post, Daniel, Lance, and Lisa Ribacoff, and their firm International Investigative Group (IIGPI), are also Defendant’s in a high-profile $50 million lawsuit alleging, among other things, Negligence, Fraud, and aiding and abetting the sexual assaults and rapes of a female subject from a 2018 private investigation the Ribacoff’s conducted.

DCPI will continue to report on these two breaking stories as information comes to light.

3 Comments

  1. […] DCPI and the NY Daily News published exclusive stories last month alleging that Dan Ribacoff, owner of IIGPI and InDepth Polygraphs, sent numerous racially charged text messages to private investigators containing highly offensive memes. After the story broke, the NY MTA cancelled all remaining polygraph examinations of new applicants scheduled to be performed by Ribacoff’s company IndepthPolygraphs. […]

  2. […] DCPI and the NY Daily News published exclusive stories last month alleging that Dan Ribacoff, owner of IIGPI and InDepth Polygraphs, sent numerous racially charged text messages to private investigators containing highly offensive memes. After the story broke, the NY MTA cancelled all remaining polygraph examinations of new applicants scheduled to be performed by Ribacoff’s company IndepthPolygraphs. […]

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