Man jailed for firearms offences after proactive traffic stop unravels criminal web of lies

Following a five-day trial in July 2024, Jason Varccianna (30/12/1986) of no fixed abode 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.

Yesterday (Tuesday 27 August), he appeared at Bolton Crown Court and was sentenced to nine years in jail (eight years and six months for firearm offences and six months for breach of a suspended sentence).

On Monday 11 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 exited the vehicle, declaring 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, registered to an address on Dalton Avenue in Stretford.

Checks were conducted in Stretford, but it soon becomes clear that this vehicle had been incorrectly registered there.

Two days later, Varccianna contacted police via email stating he gave permission for a friend to collect his car from the police compound. Police declined his request due to the suspicious circumstances, and the car was never collected.

On Friday 15 December, Varccianna attended an appointment with police to discuss the incident. Despite refusing to confirm who was driving the vehicle, Varccianna was arrested as he was wanted for unrelated matters.

In January this year (2024), 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 on Monday 11 December. Despite giving the alias Daniel Johnson, Varccianna’s phone placed him in the immediate area in the moments following him making off from the police officer.

On 19 January 2024, Varccianna was arrested at a premises in Northwich. When officers searched him, they recovered a Kinder Egg from his pocket which contained five wraps of hard white powder.

DS McCorry from our Serious Organised Crime Group 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.”

Greater Manchester Police continue to lead the way with firearms recoveries in the region. Between 2020 and 2023, Greater Manchester Police recovered more firearms than any other force in the Northwest, accounting for 58% of all firearms recoveries in the region. For each gun that we recover, that’s a potential life saved, or firearms incident prevented.

Our relentless pursuit of those involved in serious violence and firearms enabled criminality continues, and we are committed to making more arrests and recovering firearms to hold those involved in the use, supply, and conversion of firearms in Greater Manchester to account.