This is really some heavy-duty news that came out about former track star Tim Montgomery. According to the Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk, he has been indicted on heroin distribution charges. The 33-year-old sprinter was arrested Wednesday on a sealed indictment, accused of dealing more than 100 grams of heroin in Virginia over the past year, according to the newspaper.

Montgomery told the newspaper he knew nothing of the accusations and that his arrest was a "total surprise.""You get caught up in the achievements," he said. "You get blinded and make really bad mistakes." Those words ring true for his former girlfriend and the mother of his son, Marion Jones, who is currently in jail for crimes connected to Montgomery, when she lied to investigators about the check-fraud scam and for using steroids.

Montgomery's legal troubles are far from over. 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.

I remember when Montgomery was on top of the world. He made appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Show with Jones talking about the strength of their relationship and the child they had. Marion Jones was the belle of the track and field world, and Tim Montgomery was a force to be reckoned with. After all, he won a gold medal in the 400 relay at the 2000 Olympics and a silver medal in the 400 relay at the 1996 Olympics, as well as the fact that he was the fastest man in the world.

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.

The reality is that many times these people get too comfy and feel that they are above the law. They live the high life and believe that the stream of money coming in will never wane. These people have given track and field a bad name, as well as others who have been found guilty of drug use. What is damning in this situation is the fact that Marion Jones empathically stated that she was innocent and had no knowledge of steroid use and the check-kiting accusations leveled against Montgomery and her involvement. It is sad that these people were in such a great place to be positive role models for other young people and they blew it. I hope both Montgomery and Jones will use their lives for some good when they have paid their debt to society. His actions are narcissistic. In the face of a 46-month prison term, he found himself on the wrong side of the law again. Crazy. What was he thinking? It seems that when some of our "celebrities" fall off the newsstand they self-destruct. They cannot seem to get their footing and they slip into a life of drugs, alcohol and escalate to other crimes.

Sphere: Related Content