A man has been jailed for nine years after a random traffic stop in Chorlton revealed a criminal web of lies
Jason Varccianna aged 37 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.
Police pulled over his car on Barlow Moor Road in December last year after noticing excessive tint on his windows
He gave his name as Daniel Johnson before locking his car doors and running off before contacting line two days later by email to collect his car
By this time police had already established that the car had been incorrectly registered.
Varccianna never collected the car and 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.
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.”
