PRESS RELEASE
RICE LAKE, Wis. — At the National Police Defense Foundation’s 30th Anniversary Awards Dinner, Henry Repeating Arms Founder and CEO Anthony Imperato presented custom one-of-a-kind engraved rifles to several distinguished honorees, including former ICE Director and current Border Czar Tom Homan, who was named the National Police Defense Foundation’s 2025 Man of the Year.
Due to his position in President Trump’s cabinet, Homan respectfully declined to accept the firearm, though he joked, “Maybe I should resign so I can take this beautiful rifle!” Instead, Homan asked that the custom New Original Henry Silver Deluxe Engraved rifle, which features engraved seals of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), be used to raise funds for the Border Patrol Foundation (BPF), a 501(c)(3) non profit organization established in 2009 to honor the memory of fallen U.S. Border Patrol agents. BPF also provides financial support to USBP agents, employees, and their families for on- and off-duty deaths, injuries, illnesses, and student scholarships.
In an emotional moment that drew a rousing round of applause, Imperato responded, “Now you’ve got my juices flowing – I’m going to add $50,000 on top of whatever this rifle brings at auction.”
Mr. Homan graciously signed the accompanying hand-built American walnut tabletop display case, which will be included in an online auction with the custom rifle within 30 days. All proceeds from the auction will be presented to the Border Patrol Foundation. Including prior cash and product donations, the $50,000 will make Henry’s total contributions to the Border Patrol Foundation exceed $100,000. Join the Henry Repeating Arms newsletter to be notified about the auction’s timing.
Other honorees recognized with custom Henry rifles included:
- Rear Admiral Zeita Merchant, U.S. Coast Guard, Woman of the Year. Presented with a custom Henry Golden Boy Deluxe Engraved rifle featuring an engraved and hand-painted seal of the U.S. Coast Guard.
- Ralph Sozio, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of New York, Lifetime Achievement Award. Presented with a custom Henry Golden Boy Deluxe Engraved rifle featuring an engraved and hand-painted U.S. Marshal badge.
- Anthony Lacorazza, Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Member of the Year. Presented with a custom Henry Big Boy Brass .44 Mag/.44 Spl with a U.S. Secret Service badge engraved in the buttstock.
- Joe Marino, Senior Reporter, New York Post, Excellence in Media Award. Presented with a custom Henry Golden Boy Deluxe Engraved rifle.
The annual NPDF Awards Dinner helps fund the Foundation’s mission and charitable programs, including Operation Kids, which distributes free child fingerprint and DNA kits to parents, sponsors youth athletic events, posts rewards for information on missing child cases, issues annual scholarships to deserving students, and arranges for lifesaving operations and medical treatment for critically ill children worldwide. Henry pledged an additional $10,000 to support the NPDF and its charitable work as part of the evening’s events.
