SouthernWorldwide.com – Military families are urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to distribute nearly $800 million forfeited by a French cement company found guilty of bribing ISIS. The company, Lafarge, paid $777 million to the DOJ in 2022, but the families of fallen service members say they have yet to receive any compensation.
In November 2017, Chief Petty Officer Kenton Stacy was severely injured in Raqqa, Syria. He was clearing a hospital booby-trapped by ISIS and is now a quadriplegic. Stacy, his wife Lindsey, and their four children are among the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Lafarge.
Lafarge was recently found guilty by a French court for paying millions in bribes to ISIS. These payments were made to ensure their factory remained operational in territory controlled by the terrorist group in Syria.
“It’s very overwhelming,” Lindsey Stacy shared. “Kenton struggles mentally and physically with his own battles, and the kids and I, we have our own struggles. It’s hard to juggle, especially when our oldest son has cerebral palsy and he requires his own 24/7 care.”
President Donald Trump recognized Stacy’s service in his 2018 State of the Union Address. Army Staff Sgt. Justin Peck was also commended for his bravery in rescuing Stacy from the booby-trapped building and administering CPR until medics arrived.
A French court delivered a landmark ruling in April, convicting Lafarge, the world’s largest cement manufacturer, of providing material support to a terror group. The company’s former CEO received a six-year prison sentence, and eight former employees were also found guilty. Lafarge is currently appealing this decision.
The company acknowledged the court’s findings, describing the issue as a “legacy matter” that was “in flagrant violation of Lafarge’s Code of Conduct.”
The lawsuit involves nearly 1,000 plaintiffs, with a majority being military families. These families are part of earlier litigation filed in the Eastern District of New York.
“They were killed, in Syria, by a gruesome terrorist organization that was funded in part by Lafarge,” stated Todd Toral, the lawyer representing Stacy and approximately 25 other families. “And that’s not an allegation. That is an undisputed fact. Lafarge pleaded guilty to doing that in 2022.”
Toral, himself a U.S. Marine, is seeking compensation for these families from the $777 million Lafarge paid to the DOJ. This settlement money has been held by the Justice Department since October 2022.
In order for Lafarge to continue operations in ISIS-controlled areas of Syria, the company paid over $6.5 million to ISIS between 2013 and 2014. These payments were made through its Syrian subsidiary to keep production facilities running. The cement produced at its Jalabiya factory, which was acquired for $680 million before the Syrian uprising in 2011, was also used by the terrorist group for tunnels and bunkers.
This lawsuit is considered significant as it represents the first time a company has faced U.S. charges for supporting a terrorist organization.
In October 2022, Lafarge reached a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department prior to the French ruling. The company paid over $777 million into an asset forfeiture fund managed by the DOJ. This fund is intended to compensate victims of ISIS attacks, many of whom are American Gold Star families.
One such family is that of Chief Petty Officer Scott Dayton, the first American killed by ISIS in Syria on Thanksgiving Day 2016. His daughter, Hailey Dayton, is among those awaiting compensation.
The Biden Justice Department reportedly denied requests to distribute the Lafarge funds while the case was still under consideration in the French court. Lafarge was found guilty by the French court in April. Earlier, in February, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., questioned then-Attorney General Pam Bondi about the DOJ’s timeline for releasing these funds to the families.
“In February 2025, my colleagues and I sent you a letter urging the department to review the petitions for remission submitted by the families of those fallen service members, including several of my constituents,” Biggs stated during a congressional hearing. “The previous administration ignored these victims and our requests and left their petitions unresolved.”
“Congressman, we are aware of that and we’re committed to doing everything we can to support the victims and work with you. Thank you for that question,” Bondi responded. However, over a year has passed, and the DOJ has not yet distributed the compensation funds.
The plaintiffs, predominantly military families, now state that the decision to release the funds lies with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
“I don’t know why. I don’t know why they’re ignoring us,” said Dayton, the Gold Star daughter of Chief Petty Officer Scott Dayton. “To me, it feels like being a pawn. My dad, he went in when he was 19, he served 23 years.”
She added, “To the current Department of Justice, I would say, make things right.”
Lindsey Stacy highlighted the financial difficulties her family faces due to Kenton Stacy’s severe injuries.
“There’s a lot of families out there that could benefit from these funds,” Stacy said. “It’s been almost nine years. It would be nice to, you know, for justice to be served. They have been convicted recently in their own country, guilty. It has been a long battle, but it’d be nice just for it to come to an end, get some closure and be able to just take care of our family.”
“He made a huge sacrifice for our country, and it would just be nice if they’d stand right by us and all the other co-plaintiffs,” she continued.
“We can think of no group of people who are more worthy of receiving compensation from that victim’s compensation fund than these families who lost a son, lost a brother, lost a husband, and they deserve to be treated better by the United States of America,” Toral stated in an interview prior to Memorial Day weekend, as he continues to advocate for his clients.
The DOJ, which currently controls the $777 million in penalties forfeited by Lafarge, issued the following statement:
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“The Department is committed to compensating all victims to the maximum extent permitted by law. While we cannot comment on a pending matter, the Department will always engage in the appropriate process to evaluate claims and ensure that our brave servicemembers receive any amount of compensation to which they are entitled.”
