Employees of Mohawk Industries who sued claiming the carpet manufacturer hired illegal immigrants to keep wages low could be getting settlement checks this fall.

Judge Harold Murphy issued an administrative closure in the six-year-old case in U.S. District Court in Rome on Thursday.

The Calhoun-based company has agreed to set up an $18 million fund. The company must also review hiring policies and set up a hotline for employees to report violations. The company has not acknowledged any wrongdoing, however.

Employees will get money based on their time with the company. Attorney Ronan Doherty says his clients could get checks in September.

Tags: lawsuit, Mohawk Industries, Calhoun, carpet manufacturer, illegal immigrant workers