Tom Montgomery’s life continues to catch cleats on the track.  Today the former world record holder in the 100M, father of a Marion Jones child, and Olympic sprinter, plead guilty to fraud charges in New York.

Montgomery lost a world record in the 100m following details of his BALCO steroid and anabolic involvement.  He never tested positive for steroids.  However, in this deal he may lose more than a world record, painful as that sounds.  He may lose his freedom.

From the Boston Herold:

NEW
YORK - Olympic sprinter Tim Montgomery, once considered the fastest man
on Earth until his world record was erased in the BALCO steroid
scandal, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy in a multimillion-dollar
bank fraud and money-laundering scheme.

”I sincerely regret the
role I played in this unfortunate episode,” Montgomery said in a
statement following the plea. ”I have disappointed many people, and for
that I am truly sorry.”

Montgomery’s
plea deal ”reflects his minor role” in an alleged conspiracy and does
not require him to testify at the trial of his former coach, Steven
Riddick, and other co-defendants, according to his lawyers. That trial
is scheduled to begin Tuesday.

Minor or not, this episode may result in some hard time for Tiny Tim.

Defense attorneys said
Montgomery could be sentenced to 37 to 46 months in prison. Sentencing
is scheduled for Nov. 1. The U.S. attorney’s office had no immediate
comment.

Montgomery participated in a bank fraud:

The
government had accused Montgomery of participating in a plot created by
two other defendants who set up sham businesses to take checks stolen
from banks and alter them or make counterfeits.

Montgomery
allegedly deposited three bogus checks worth a total of $775,000. He
also was accused of helping Riddick deposit others worth at least
$905,000 and accepting a $20,000 fee for his role. Riddick, a 1976
Olympic medalist, has maintained his innocence.

Montgomery once was an Olympic gold medalist and as we mentioned world record holder in the 100M:

Montgomery
was a 2000 Olympic gold medalist and a former 100-meter world record
holder. He retired in 2005 after he was banned from track and field 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.

Montgomery never tested positive for drugs, and has said he never knowingly took any banned substances.

All
of Montgomery’s performances after March 31, 2001, were wiped off the
books, including his world record dash of 9.78 seconds in 2002.
Montgomery won his gold medal in the 400-meter relay at the 2000
Olympics.