A Seattle man with a history of violent threats and prior convictions was sentenced to 18 months in prison for lying during an attempt to purchase a firearm, according to an announcement from Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Filmore Doyoon Kim, 40, tried to buy a handgun on February 13, 2025, just days after sending threatening emails to his probation officer at the Washington State Department of Corrections.
U.S. District Judge Lauren King handed down the sentence at the top of the federal guidelines range. In her remarks, Judge King stated, “The crime is extremely serious… repeatedly threating the life of a corrections officer and continuing to threaten others with violence. You are a danger to the public.”
Court records show that Kim had previously been sentenced in 2022 to 15 months in prison for burglary after breaking into a neighbor’s apartment and assaulting him in front of his young child. After that incident, Kim left a note written in blood threatening further harm. He also has prior harassment convictions involving threats against apartment managers and other individuals.
While still on probation for the burglary conviction, Kim sent additional threats via email to his supervising probation officer before attempting to purchase a firearm from a federally licensed dealer. On the required background check form, he falsely claimed he had not been convicted of any crimes punishable by more than one year in jail. The store refused the sale when his criminal record appeared during the background check and notified law enforcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg argued for an 18-month sentence due to the seriousness of Kim’s actions and their context: “Kim’s offense conduct was extremely serious. He intentionally subverted the background check laws designed to keep guns away from dangerous people – like himself. 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.”
Following his prison term, Judge King ordered Kim be placed on supervised release for three years.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC). Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg prosecuted the case.
