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Updated at 7:19 a.m., Friday, May 2, 2008

Ex-track star to face bond hearing on heroin charges

Associated Press

NORFOLK, Va. — Former track star Tim Montgomery is scheduled to appear in federal court Monday for a bond hearing on heroin distribution charges.

The 33-year-old sprinter was arrested Wednesday on a sealed indictment accusing him of dealing more than 100 grams of heroin in Virginia over the past year.

Montgomery was being held at the Portsmouth city jail pending the hearing in federal court. U.S. marshals brought him in Wednesday night.

Montgomery declined an interview request Friday, said Maj. William Rucker, Portsmouth's chief of corrections.

In a story published today, Montgomery told The Virginian-Pilot newspaper of Norfolk that he knew nothing of the accusations and that his arrest was a surprise.

The former 100-meter world-record holder is to be sentenced May 16 in a New York-based check-kiting conspiracy. Montgomery, who pleaded guilty, admitted he helped his former coach, Olympic champion Steve Riddick, and others cash $1.7 million in stolen and counterfeit checks. He faces up to 46 months in prison.

Riddick is serving a five-year prison term. Montgomery's former companion, Olympic gold medalist Marion Jones, is serving a six-month prison term for lying to investigators about the check-fraud scam and using steroids.

Montgomery won a gold medal in the 400 relay at the 2000 Olympics and a silver medal in the 400 relay at the 1996 Olympics.

In December 2005, Montgomery was banned from track for two years for doping and he retired. All of his performances after March 31, 2001 were wiped from the books, including his world record of 9.78 seconds in the 100-meter dash in September 2002.