A Detroit man is being held on federal charges in connection with the near-fatal heroin overdose of former WSLS (Channel 10) meteorologist Marc Lamarre, a Salem defense attorney said.

Gilbert Dennis Hadden, 21, of Detroit, is charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin and distribution of heroin, according to a federal affidavit filed Sunday.

Salem attorney Greg Phillips, who is representing Hadden, said his client "is a dealer who is involved in a conspiracy where Marc Lamarre was supplied heroin."

Phillips said the overdose occurred sometime late on Feb. 2. He said he is unsure how Lamarre took the heroin.

After days of silence, WSLS acknowledged Thursday that Lamarre is alive despite rampant rumors to the contrary.

"Rumors of Marc's death are simply untrue," Kathy Mohn, WSLS's general manager, said during a taped interview with anchor John Carlin. The segment first aired on Thursday's 5 p.m. newscast.

"We here at WSLS are very saddened that Marc is no longer a member of our weather team," she said. "We're going to miss him greatly. However, out of respect for Marc and his family we simply will not comment about personal matters concerning him or his family."

On Monday, news director Shane Moreland acknowledged that Lamarre, 36, was no longer a WSLS employee. His biography was pulled from the station's Web site without comment, and a photo of Lamarre and other meteorologists was removed from a window of the station. He last appeared on a newscast last week. Lamarre joined WSLS in 1998.

According to the affidavit, Roanoke Fire-EMS and Roanoke Police responded Feb. 2 to an apartment in Southwest Roanoke in response to a reported overdose. When medics arrived, they found a male victim in the bathroom of the apartment.

The victim had been immersed in cold water and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was being performed on him. Medics said the victim had no pulse when they arrived, but they were able to resuscitate him before taking him to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, the document states.

The affidavit does not disclose the identity of the victim. Raymond Melick, resident agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Roanoke, declined to provide further information, including whether the victim survived.

Phillips said the heroin did not go directly from Hadden's hands to Lamarre's because he believes other dealers were involved, but Hadden touched the heroin that caused Lamarre's overdose, Phillips said. Still, Phillips said Hadden is not a high-level heroin dealer.

"We're not talking about my guy being a major heroin dealer. He is a low-level dealer. He is an individual with a marijuana habit" who sold small amounts of heroin to pay for his habit. Phillips said Hadden does not have a criminal record.

Phillips said Hadden is originally from Detroit but lived in Toledo, Ohio, before coming to the Roanoke area about six months ago. Toledo was listed as Hadden's home in federal court documents. He has family in Wytheville, Phillips said.

Phillips could not say whether anyone else will be charged. He said Lamarre is "very much alive" but he does not know where he is now.

"I don't know but I hope he's doing well," he said.

He said Hadden is facing 10 years to life on the two charges.

Melick said the case is still under investigation.

The affidavit indicates that DEA agents questioned two confidential sources in the investigation, neither of whom was named or identified by gender.

According to the affidavit, the first source, who was interviewed Feb. 3, said he or she obtained heroin from the same suppliers as the overdose victim within the past six months. That same confidential source said he or she had knowledge of the victim's prior addiction to heroin and had been told by the victim on Feb. 2 that he wanted to get some heroin for personal use.

The confidential sources identified a residence where the victim allegedly obtained heroin on multiple occasions. The second source told agents that the victim had purchased an unknown amount of heroin from another man just before his overdose. The source provided agents with a detailed description of the dealer and gave them a cellphone number.

The source said the number could be used to contact the distributor, who lived out of state, the affidavit said. The second source agreed to contact the suspect and arrange a meeting with him.

When the meeting occurred at an unnamed public location, Hadden was arrested by authorities.

A third unnamed person was questioned after driving Hadden to the meeting place. That person told authorities that he or she had no knowledge of Hadden's activities and was simply giving him a ride, the affidavit states.

Hadden was denied bond on Thursday and is being held in the Roanoke City Jail.

Staff writer Marques Harper contributed to this report.