By Dan Horn
Enquirer staff writer

More than three months after they mistakenly set two bank robbery suspects free, law enforcement authorities in Cincinnati still are trying to catch up to Leonard Drister and James Black.

The two men were released from the Hamilton County Justice Center in late April after a series of mistakes and miscommunications between local and federal officials.

Although Drister and Black didn't have much of a head start - about 12 hours elapsed between their release and the discovery of the mistake - the two men have proven elusive.

Federal authorities won't say whether they think Drister and Black, both of whom have ties to California, remain in Greater Cincinnati or have left the state.

"At this time, they're still at large," said Fred Alverson, spokesman for U.S. Attorney Gregory Lockhart. "The investigators are taking a coordinated and concerted effort to locate them. This is still a priority."

A third bank robbery suspect, Trevor Woods, was initially arrested with Drister and Black and remains in custody. Woods pleaded guilty two weeks ago to bank robbery and firearms charges.

He faces up to 25 years in prison when he returns to U.S. District Court for sentencing before Judge Sandra Beckwith.

Police arrested all three men April 12 after the robbery of a PNC Bank branch in Springfield Township. Authorities say the men robbed the bank of about $55,000 at gunpoint and drove off.

When police caught up to them a short time later, authorities say, the suspects jumped out of their car and began shooting at police officers.

Drister and Black were released nine days later after state prosecutors dropped charges against them because they thought federal charges had been filed.

But warrants from the federal charges did not get to the jail until much later. By then, jail officials - who had no way of knowing federal charges were coming - had received notice of the dismissed state charges and released the men.

Woods was not released because he also was being held on out-of-state charges related to other robberies.

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E-mail dhorn@enquirer.com