Aaron Hernandez reportedly denied having any gang ties

If Aaron Hernandez is affiliated or was affiliated with any type of street gang, he is choosing to keep that information from the police. On Monday, Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hogson told the Boston Herald that the former New England Patriots tight end told correctional officers that he has never been a member of a gang.

An examination of his tattoos must have revealed the same, because a report on Monday stated that the jail’s gang unit is not as concerned about Hernandez’s potential involvement in gang activity as they were originally.

“He talked to our gang 
investigators and said he didn’t have any involvement,” Hodgson said, noting that the matter is still being investigated. “We always take extra precautions. We don’t have any definite issues at this point, but we’re still being very cautious.”

[Related: Aaron Hernandez reportedly had gang ties]

Despite that, Hernandez was moved to a new cell block on Monday where he does not have one-on-one interaction with other inmates. While he has been described as a “model inmate” and gang affiliation is no longer a major concern, Hodgson said they are still being cautious with Hernandez in case any of the other prisoners want to “make a name for themselves.”

Hernandez has a tattoo on his right hand that has led to speculation about his potential involvement with gangs, but to this point it appears nothing has come of it. It will be interesting to see if that holds true throughout the course of the investigation.

See all the LBS coverage of the Aaron Hernandez murder