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Prosecutor Considering Charges Against Hotel Clerk

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AVON, Ohio (AP) – A prosecutor is reviewing whether to pursue charges against a northeast Ohio hotel clerk whose family called police on an Emirati businessman dressed in traditional clothing and linked him to possible terrorism.

Businessman Ahmed al-Menhali was detained by police at gunpoint last week at an Avon hotel before police determined he wasn’t a threat. Police responded to 911 calls from the clerk’s family expressing fears that al-Menahali could have ties to the Islamic State group, ISIS.

Al-Menhali’s treatment became front-page news in the United Arab Emirates, which has since warned its citizens to avoid wearing traditional garments abroad.

Avon city officials say the investigation was turned over to the prosecutor’s office to decide whether to pursue charges.

Messages left at the prosecutor’s office Wednesday weren’t immediately returned.