Montgomery appeared today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge F. Bradford Stillman. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and requested a jury trial, which the judge set for July 9.A federal judge denied bond for former track star Tim Montgomery on federal heroin distribution charges.The former 100-meter world-record holder was arrested last week on a sealed indictment accusing him of dealing more than 100 grams of heroin in Virginia.Stillman said Montgomery is a flight risk and a danger to the community, noting he is accused of dealing heroin in Virginia four times to a government informant after he pleaded guilty in a New York-based check-kiting conspiracy. He is to be sentenced May 16 in that case.The 33-year-old Montgomery pleaded guilty in the New York case, admitting 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.
Eric Hurt, an assistant U.S. attorney, called the heroin case straightforward.
Montgomery met four times with a confidential informant from August to April, dealing a total of 111 grams of heroin for $8,450, Hurt told the judge.Authorities recorded the meetings on audiotape and, in two cases, also on videotape. Drug Enforcement Administration agents also observed the transactions, Hurt said.
Montgomery’s defense attorney James O. Broccoletti declined to comment after the hearing, as did members of Montgomery’s family, who were in court.
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.
Montgomery retired in December 2005 after he was banned from track for two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for doping linked to the investigation of BALCO, the lab at the center of a steroid scandal in sports. He never tested positive for drugs and has said he never knowingly took any banned substances.
All performances after March 31, 2001, were wiped from the books, including his world record of 9.78 seconds in the 100 meters in September 2002.
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