The United States Justice Department has fined Lafarge, a French cement company, with $778 million after pleading guilty to making payments to terrorists to retain its operations in Syria.

The settlement is the largest ever paid by a private company charged with providing material support to a terrorist group.

The company admitted to the act at the Federal Court in Brooklyn as part of the plea agreement.

Lafarge Cement Syria executives were accused of buying materials needed for their cement plant in the Jalabiyeh region of northern Syrian from ISIS-controlled suppliers, and paid monthly donations to ISIS so that employees, customers and suppliers could cross checkpoints around the plant.

Meanwhile, Lafarge executives were said to have concealed the Syria activities from external auditors.