Former Olympic sprinter Tim Montgomery has been denied bond following a detention hearing in a US District Court related to heroin distribution charges.

Montgomery, 33, was arrested last Wednesday in Norfolk, Virginia, and charged with conspiracy to possess with intent and to distribute heroin "between, in, or about 2007, to, in, or about 2008 in the eastern District of Virginia," according to Margaret Jahn, press liaison for the US Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Virginia.

He had been held in nearby Portsmouth city jail since then and appeared on Tuesday before Magistrate Judge F. Bradford Stillman.

Montgomery pleaded not guilty to the charges at which point the judge set a July 9 trial date, said Jahn.

Montgomery's attorney, James Broccoletti, said the judge had denied his client bond because the former sprinter is facing sentencing in New York on May 16 in a cheque-fraud case that has already seen his former partner Marion Jones, the mother of his son Tim Jr, imprisoned for two months for a minor role in the scheme.

"The court agreed to a reconsideration of the bond depending on what the court does in New York," Broccoletti said. "Obviously if he is sentenced [in New York] to a period of incarceration then bond here is a moot issue."

Asked about Montgomery's demeanour following the denial of bond, Broccoletti said: "He's positive, wants the matter to be resolved in New York next week, wants to have one step at a time and get on with his life.

"He's being very mature and very positive about it."

Following his arrest last week, Montgomery was quoted by the Virginian Pilot newspaper as saying he had "no idea" what the charges were about but Broccoletti said: "The prosecutor has today set forth what their allegations are and we have a better understanding about what they are alleging occurred.

"So we're not as confused as we were before."

Montgomery retired from athletics in December 2005 after being banned from the sport for two years for doping. He had won a gold medal in the 4x100 metre relay at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and a silver medal in the 4x100m relay at the 1996 Games in Atlanta as well as a World Championship 100m silver medal in 2001.

The American had never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs but his ban arose from testimony he gave to the BALCO grand jury in 2003 that he had taken performance-enhancing drugs in 2001.

In addition to his ban, Montgomery's September 2002 world record 100m run of 9.78 seconds was scratched from the record books along with all his performances from 2001 and he was ordered to return his medals.

Sporting Life / Eurosport