ACCUSED robber accidentally released from Tulsa Jail

<br>Authorities continue to look for a man released from the Tulsa Jail last week because of a paperwork error. Tulsa Police say Steven Holley was arrested following a standoff in Stillwater in early

Saturday, May 19th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Authorities continue to look for a man released from the Tulsa Jail last week because of a paperwork error. Tulsa Police say Steven Holley was arrested following a standoff in Stillwater in early April.

Police were searching for Holley had few clues, Sgt. Wayne Allen said. Holley is considered armed and dangerous.

``He's got a seven-day head start on us,'' he said.

Holley was facing a 12-count indictment on federal armed robbery charges when the Tulsa Jail accidentally released him May 11, Allen said.

Tulsa police discovered the mistake Friday when they went to the jail to deliver a federal warrant and found that Holley had walked free one week earlier.

Allen said the accidental release stemmed from a paperwork mistake.

Holley had been held on state charges. Those charges were dropped in anticipation of the filing of federal charges, but no federal charges were on file at the time.

``When the charges were dropped by the district attorney's office, there was no federal paperwork on file to indicate he should continue to be held,'' Allen said. ``He was set to freedom, so he's not an escapee.''

Holley was charged in a string of robberies at various Tulsa stores in February and March. The charges came under the Hobbs Act, which allows federal jurisdiction when businesses engaged in interstate commerce are robbed.

He was arrested April 4 after holding police and FBI agents at bay for 18 hours from a Stillwater motel room.

Holley is 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, with gray eyes. He has graying brown hair and is known to wear it in a ponytail.

Anyone with information is being asked to call Crimestoppers at 596-COPS.