It's been almost nine years. It would be nice for justice to be served.
Lafarge paid over $6.5M to ISIS (2013-2014) to operate in Syria; a French court convicted the company and executives in April 2024 for material support to terrorism. Nearly 1,000 plaintiffs, mostly military families, seek compensation from the DOJ-controlled settlement fund held since October 2022 for victims of ISIS attacks.
- Lafarge paid over $6.5 million to ISIS between 2013–2014 to operate in Syria
- French court convicted Lafarge in April 2024; former CEO sentenced to 6 years
- DOJ has controlled $777 million settlement fund since October 2022
- Nearly 1,000 plaintiffs, mostly military families, await compensation
- Chief Petty Officer Kenton Stacy became quadriplegic from ISIS booby trap in November 2017
Gold Star families and injured veterans demand the DOJ distribute $777 million in penalties from French cement company Lafarge, convicted of funding ISIS in Syria and causing American military casualties.
In November 2017, Chief Petty Officer Kenton Stacy was clearing the second floor of a hospital in Raqqa, Syria when ISIS detonated explosives rigged throughout the building. The blast left him a quadriplegic. Now, nearly nine years later, Stacy, his wife Lindsey, and their four children—including their oldest son who requires round-the-clock care due to cerebral palsy—are waiting for the Department of Justice to distribute $777 million in settlement money from a French cement company convicted of funding the very terrorist organization that wounded him.
Lafarge, the world's largest cement manufacturer, operated a factory in Jalabiya, Syria during the ISIS occupation. Between 2013 and 2014, the company paid more than $6.5 million directly to ISIS through its Syrian subsidiary to keep production running in terrorist-controlled territory. The cement produced there was used to construct tunnels and bunkers that strengthened ISIS's military infrastructure. In April 2024, a French court found Lafarge guilty of providing material support to a terror organization, sentencing the company's former CEO to six years in prison and convicting eight former employees. The company is appealing but has already acknowledged the payments as a violation of its own code of conduct.
In October 2022, before the French conviction, Lafarge settled with the U.S. Justice Department and paid $777 million into an asset forfeiture fund. That money has sat in DOJ control for more than three years while nearly 1,000 plaintiffs—mostly military families—wait for compensation. Some lost sons, brothers, and husbands to ISIS attacks funded in part by Lafarge's payments. Others, like Stacy, live with catastrophic injuries and the financial strain of lifelong care.
Hailey Dayton was fifteen years old on Thanksgiving Day 2016 when six Navy officers in dress whites arrived at her home. She opened the door expecting her father to surprise her. Instead, she saw six men with tears streaming down their faces. Her father, Chief Petty Officer Scott Dayton, was the first American killed by ISIS in Syria. "I don't know why they're ignoring us," she said recently. "To me, it feels like being a pawn." Lindsey Stacy echoed the frustration: "It's been almost nine years. It would be nice for justice to be served."
The Biden administration's Justice Department repeatedly denied requests to distribute the funds while the French case remained pending. In February 2025, Representative Andy Biggs pressed then-Attorney General Pam Bondi on the timeline, noting that the previous administration had left the families' petitions unresolved. Bondi promised the department would support the victims. More than a year has passed with no distribution. The families now appeal to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to release the money.
Tod Toral, a U.S. Marine and attorney at Jenner & Block representing Stacy and about twenty-five other families, called the French conviction significant—the first time in many years that a corporation and its executives faced accountability for aiding terrorism. "I can think of no group of people more worthy of receiving compensation from that victim's compensation fund than these families," Toral said. "They lost a son, lost a brother, lost a husband, and they deserve to be treated better by the United States of America."
The Justice Department issued a statement saying it remains committed to compensating victims to the maximum extent permitted by law and will engage in appropriate processes to evaluate claims. But for families like the Stacys and Daytons, the process has already stretched nearly a decade. Kenton Stacy has undergone multiple surgeries for injuries sustained in Syria. His wife manages the care of their son with cerebral palsy while supporting a severely disabled husband. The settlement money exists. The conviction is final. The families are still waiting.
Citas Notables
They were essentially funneling money to fund terrorists and ISIS and all these heinous crimes and evil acts.— Lindsey Stacy, wife of injured Navy officer
I can think of no group of people more worthy of receiving compensation from that victim's compensation fund than these families who lost a son, lost a brother, lost a husband.— Tod Toral, attorney representing military families
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does it matter that a French court convicted Lafarge rather than an American one?
Because it establishes that this wasn't just an allegation or a civil dispute. A foreign government's court examined the evidence and found the company guilty of knowingly funding ISIS. That removes any ambiguity. The families aren't asking for speculation—they're asking for compensation based on a conviction.
The DOJ has had this money since 2022. What's the actual barrier to distributing it?
The previous administration said they were waiting for the French case to conclude. Now it has concluded. The statement from the current DOJ says they're committed to compensating victims, but they're being vague about timing and process. It feels like bureaucratic caution, but to families who've waited nine years, caution feels like indifference.
Is there a legal reason the money can't just be handed over?
The statement mentions "maximum extent permitted by law," which suggests there are rules about how forfeiture funds can be distributed. But the families have filed petitions for remission—formal requests for compensation. Those petitions have been sitting unreviewed. It's not that the law forbids it; it's that no one has acted.
What makes Kenton Stacy's case different from other injured veterans?
He's not just injured. He's quadriplegic and requires ongoing care. His wife is managing the household, their four children, and his medical needs on what sounds like a strained budget. The injury was caused by an enemy that was partially funded by a company that's now been convicted. The connection is direct and undeniable.
Why do you think the families are speaking out now?
The French conviction removed the last excuse for delay. The money exists. The guilt is established. What's left is just the decision to distribute it. By going public, especially around Memorial Day, they're trying to make that decision harder to ignore.
What does the DOJ's statement actually commit to?
It commits to following the law and evaluating claims. But it doesn't commit to a timeline or even acknowledge that the petitions are being reviewed. It's the kind of statement that sounds supportive while committing to nothing specific.