In November 2017, Chief Petty Officer Kenton Stacy was injured in Raqqa, Syria, while clearing a hospital booby-trapped by ISIS. Now a quadriplegic, Stacy, along with his wife Lindsey and their four children, is part of a lawsuit against the French cement company Lafarge, which was found guilty by a French court of paying bribes to ISIS to maintain operations in ISIS-controlled territory in Syria.
Lindsey Stacy stated, "They were essentially funneling money to fund terrorists and ISIS and all these heinous crimes and evil acts." The couple faces ongoing challenges, particularly with their oldest son who has cerebral palsy and requires constant care.
In April, a French court convicted Lafarge, the world's largest cement manufacturer, of providing material support to a terrorist organization and sentenced its former CEO to six years in prison. Eight former employees were also found guilty, and Lafarge is appealing the ruling.
The company acknowledged the court's finding, describing it as a "legacy matter" that violated its Code of Conduct. Nearly 1,000 plaintiffs, mostly military families, are involved in litigation in the Eastern District of New York.
Attorney Todd Toral, representing Stacy and other families, emphasized that Lafarge's actions directly contributed to the funding of ISIS, stating, "That is undisputed fact. Lafarge pleaded guilty to doing that in 2022." Toral is seeking compensation from the $777 million Lafarge paid to the Justice Department as part of a settlement, which has been held since October 2022.
Lafarge paid over $6.5 million to ISIS from 2013 to 2014 to keep its production facilities running, with the cement produced being used for terrorist infrastructure. The lawsuit is significant as it marks the first time a company has faced U.S. charges for supporting a terrorist group.
In October 2022, Lafarge settled with the U.S. Justice Department, paying more than $777 million into an asset forfeiture fund intended for victims of ISIS attacks, including many American Gold Star families. The Biden Justice Department has denied requests to distribute these funds while the case was pending in France.
Representative Andy Biggs questioned the Justice Department about the release of these funds during a congressional hearing, expressing frustration over the lack of action. The plaintiffs, primarily military families, believe the decision to release the funds lies with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Lindsey Stacy expressed the financial difficulties her family faces due to her husband's injuries, stating, "There's a lot of families out there that could benefit from these funds. It would be nice for justice to be served."
Toral stated, "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."
The DOJ issued a statement affirming its commitment to compensating victims but did not provide specifics on the pending matter.