J. R. Filliter was born and raised in New Brunswick. In pursuit of career aspirations he moved to Ontario in 1972, and joined the R.C.M.P. in 1973. He served with the R.C.M.P. for twenty-three years and became a seasoned financial/fraud investigator. In 1996 he began a second career in Security and Investigations with a Canadian chartered bank where he worked for eleven years, ultimately moving into private practice in 2007. He is currently the President of J.R. Filliter Investigative Services and holds an honours degree in Administrative Studies (BA), with distinction, has been a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) since 1995, and holds a Private Investigator licence in the Province of Ontario.

J.R. was named to an Advisory Committee responsible for spearheading a new Masters Degree Program in Economic Crime at the DeGroote School of Business. In addition, he sat on steering committees for Urban Design and Economic Development in his local community, and has lectured to numerous law enforcement organizations around the world. He has provided expert testimony in both civil and criminal proceedings globally, and has been declared a professional witness in the U.K. in relation to wire transfer fraud.

J.R. used his extensive experience and expertise in investigating fraud, money laundering, and the tracing of proceeds of crime, along with his global contact network, as a basis for writing The Shallowest of Men, which fictionalizes an actual six-year investigation. He wrote the book because he believes that this is a story that needs to be told.

J.R. Filliter currently resides with his wife in rural Ontario. He enjoys family events, sports and travel, and is actively involved in his community.