Chief Petty Officer Kenton Stacy — now a quadriplegic after injuries sustained in Raqqa in 2017 — and nearly 1,000 other plaintiffs are urging the U.S. Department of Justice to distribute $777 million forfeited by Lafarge. A French court convicted Lafarge of providing material support to ISIS after its Syrian subsidiary allegedly paid more than $6.5 million to the group to keep a Jalabiya plant running. Families and attorneys say the DOJ has withheld the forfeited funds while legal matters in France were pending and now should release compensation to victims, including Gold Star families.
Military Families Demand DOJ Release $777M From Lafarge After French Conviction For Aiding ISIS
President Donald Trump arrives at the commencement ceremony on Cadet Memorial Field at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., on May 20, 2026.(Getty Images)
In November 2017, Chief Petty Officer Kenton Stacy was critically wounded in Raqqa, Syria, while clearing the second floor of a hospital that had been booby-trapped by ISIS. Now a quadriplegic, Stacy and his wife Lindsey — along with their four children — are among nearly 1,000 plaintiffs pressing the U.S. Department of Justice to distribute $777 million forfeited by French cement maker Lafarge after revelations its Syrian operations paid ISIS to keep a factory running.
What Families Say: Lindsey Stacy described the family’s continuing struggles: "It's very overwhelming. Kenton struggles mentally and physically with his own battles ... It's hard to juggle, especially when our oldest son has cerebral palsy and requires 24/7 care." Army Staff Sergeant Justin Peck, who rescued Stacy and administered extended CPR, was later praised by President Trump in the 2018 State of the Union for saving his life.
French Ruling and U.S. Settlement
In April, a French court convicted Lafarge (one of the world’s largest cement makers) of providing material support to a terrorist organization. The court sentenced Lafarge’s former CEO to six years in prison and found eight former employees guilty; Lafarge has announced an appeal. The company has characterized the conduct as a "legacy matter" that violated its Code of Conduct.
Separately, in October 2022 Lafarge reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, transferring more than $777 million into an asset forfeiture fund meant to compensate victims of ISIS attacks. Plaintiffs’ attorneys say the fund has remained under DOJ control while legal matters proceeded in France and while petitions for remission were pending.
The Allegations
According to court records and the French decision, Lafarge’s Syrian subsidiary paid more than $6.5 million to ISIS between 2013 and 2014 to keep production at its Jalabiya factory. Prosecutors say cement produced at the plant was used to build tunnels and bunkers that aided ISIS operations. Lafarge purchased the Jalabiya facility months before the Syrian uprising for roughly $680 million.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche attends a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 19, 2025.
U.S. Litigation and Victims
Nearly 1,000 plaintiffs — many of them military families and Gold Star relatives — previously filed claims in the Eastern District of New York seeking compensation from the forfeited assets. Attorney Todd Toral of Jenner & Block, a U.S. Marine representing Stacy and roughly two dozen other families, argues the French convictions strengthen their case for relief from the asset forfeiture fund.
One plaintiff, Hailey Dayton, described the moment she learned her father, Chief Petty Officer Scott Dayton, had been killed by ISIS in Syria on Thanksgiving Day 2016. "I was 15 when my dad was killed," she said. "I remember opening the door, huge smile on my face ... and instead I saw six guys with tears in their eyes." Dayton and other Gold Star families are among those pressing the DOJ to distribute funds.
Why Families Want the Funds Released Now
Plaintiffs say the French convictions remove obstacles that previously justified the DOJ's withholding of funds and that families who lost loved ones or suffered life-changing injuries deserve compensation. Toral said the case marks a rare instance in which corporate actors and executives have been held criminally accountable for materially supporting a terrorist organization.
Department of Justice Statement: "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."
Plaintiffs and their counsel say the decision to move forward now rests with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, and they are urging prompt review of remission petitions so eligible families can receive relief.
Next Steps
The legal process remains active: Lafarge has appealed the French judgment, and the DOJ must evaluate remission petitions under applicable statutes and regulations before releasing forfeited assets. Families and attorneys continue to press the case publicly and in court for a timely distribution of funds intended to compensate victims of ISIS-related violence.
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