Jason Varccianna (37) of no fixed abode, has been jailed for nine years following a five-day trial.
He was found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life, and possession of an offensive weapon and sentenced at Bolton Crown Court on Tuesday.
In December 2023, police were alerted to a car on Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton – that Varccianna was driving – due to the levels of tint on the windows. When requested by police, he pulled over and said his name was Daniel Johnson.
As the officer retrieved his vehicle kit to test the window tint, Varccianna locked his car and ran off. The vehicle was seized, and further checks showed that it belonged to a Jason Varccianna, incorrectly registered to an address on Dalton Avenue in Stretford.
Police declined Varcianna’s request for a friend to pick up the car as the circumstances appeared suspicious, and the car was never collected.
Later that month, Varccianna talked to police about the incident but refused to confirm who was driving the vehicle. He was arrested as he was wanted for unrelated matters.
In January, the vehicle was emptied by a third party following a disposal instruction from police. During the search, a firearm was found hidden under the passenger seat in a black plastic bag.
Armed officers and crime scene investigators attend the scene and identified that it was a viable firearm, later classified as an EKOL Gediz 9mm blank firing, self-loading pistol. A thorough search also revealed a baton, GPS tags and paperwork indicating that this car belonged to Varccianna.
Extensive phone work was conducted on Varccianna’s phone to understand his movement on the night his car was seized by police in December. Despite the alias, Varccianna’s phone placed him in the immediate area in the moments following him making off from the police officer.
In January, Varccianna was arrested in Northwich. Officers searched him and found a Kinder Egg in his pocket which contained five wraps of hard white powder.
DS McCorry said: “Varccianna was caught with a deadly weapon which had the potential to inflict serious violence or end up in the hands of organised criminals. He went to great lengths to try and conceal his criminality, but ultimately, he was complacent, and he is now behind bars for a substantial amount of time.
“This investigation is an excellent example of collaboration between departments across Greater Manchester Police, and what started as a proactive vehicle stop resulted in a diligent investigation and a dangerous man being taken off our streets.”
