Seattle man sentenced for threatening to kill probation officer, lying to buy gun

A 40-year-old Seattle resident was sentenced to 18 months in prison Monday for threatening to kill his probation officer and lying during an attempt to purchase a firearm, the Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed.

Filmore Doyoon Kim attempted to purchase a firearm on February 13, 2025, days after emailing a series of threats to his Washington State Department of Corrections Probation Officer.

“The threats that he sent included threatening that he could get a gun, and then the last threat was, ‘I will live up to this promise,'” Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg said.

Seattle man sentenced to 18 months in prison

The DOJ mentioned that Kim has a history of making death threats and violently attacking a neighbor. The 18-month sentence is the largest amount of jail time for the offenses committed.

“The crime is extremely serious… repeatedly threatening the life of a corrections officer and continuing to threaten others with violence. You are a danger to the public,” U.S. District Judge Lauren King said.

Kim had previously been sentenced to 15 months in prison for burglary in 2022, according to records filed in the case. Kim broke into a neighbor’s apartment and beat the neighbor until he was unconscious. Kim assaulted him in front of the man’s 4-year-old child and left a note written in blood threatening to kill him.

Kim also had harassment convictions for threatening to kill apartment managers and others in different residences. While Kim was on probation for the burglary, he sent threatening emails to his probation officer, claiming he would kill him. Following the threats, Kim went to a federally licensed firearms store and attempted to purchase a handgun.

Kim lied on the form needed to purchase a firearm, claiming he had not been convicted of a crime. A background check for Kim revealed his prior conviction, and the store refused to sell him the gun. Law enforcement was also alerted.

“Kim’s offense conduct was extremely serious. He intentionally subverted the background check laws designed to keep guns away from dangerous people – like himself,” Greenberg wrote to the court. “The larger context of Kim’s attempted firearm purchase – immediately after threatening to kill his supervising CCO and declaring, ‘Don’t forget I can buy gun’ – makes his offense conduct even more concerning.”

In addition to the 18-month sentencing, King ordered Kim to be put on supervised release for three years following his prison term.

Contributing: James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio

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