An attorney for Servpro, a local fire and water damage repair company that is the subject of a lawsuit, said the company is conducting an internal investigation and intends to do the “right thing.”

Servpro of Floyd County is being sued for allegedly hiring an illegal immigrant who used a customer’s personal information to steal more than $10,000 — even after that employee had been previously investigated, attorneys for the plaintiff said.

“Servpro is investigating the matter,” said David Guldenschuh, the company’s attorney. “Fortunately the problems were caught and there was minimal out-of-pocket expense to the Barkers. Once the investigation is complete Servpro intends to do the right thing.”

Chad and Melissa Barker of Ringgold maintain that the negligent hiring practices of the Rome branch of Servpro led directly to the theft of their identity and property, according to the civil lawsuit filed in Floyd County Superior Court.

Guldenschuh filed a response denying a number of the allegations in Floyd County Superior Court.

The Barkers’ insurance company contracted Servpro to clean up the home after it was damaged during a Feb. 9 fire. Nora Carillo Barcarel, a Servpro employee, boxed up the Barkers’ financial and legal records as an initial step in the cleaning process but later used those documents to steal their identity, said the plaintiff’s attorney Page Pate.

According to the lawsuit, Barcarel pleaded guilty in April to fraudulently using those records to withdraw around $10,000 from their accounts.