A 64-year-old man who claimed to have worked as a stunt double for Hollywood action star Chuck Norris before becoming a prominent figure in Greece’s organised crime scene has been found dead in his prison cell in Patras.
Vasilis Varelas, widely known as “Bill the Canadian”, was discovered dead at Agios Stefanos Prison in western Greece on Thursday, November 5. The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear, with a post-mortem examination expected to determine the cause.
Varelas had a lengthy criminal history involving drug trafficking, extortion, attempted assassinations and contract killings.
From martial arts to Hollywood
Born in the village of Nedousa in the Taygetos mountains near Sparta, Varelas initially pursued martial arts and was reportedly a two-time kickboxing champion in Greece.
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His sporting career took him to Canada and the United States, where he claimed to have secured work in Hollywood action productions during the 1980s. According to reports in Greek media, he performed dangerous stunts in place of Chuck Norris.
However, his alleged Hollywood career came to an abrupt end in 1988 following a homicide case in Canada.
Varelas was accused of shooting a man dead following a personal dispute. An international arrest warrant was subsequently issued after he disappeared. He later resurfaced in Greece and settled in Kalamata, where he became associated with criminal networks operating in the Messinia region.
Alleged criminal network in Kalamata
By the early 2000s, Varelas had become linked to investigations involving drug trafficking, extortion and organised criminal activity.
Authorities alleged that he was connected to a gang involved in protection rackets and contract killings, targeting businesses in Kalamata.
Investigators reportedly identified at least eight businesses that had been pressured into making regular payments in exchange for protection. The alleged payments ranged from €150 to €250 per week.
Varelas was also accused of continuing to coordinate criminal activities from behind bars, using associates outside prison to collect money and intimidate business owners.
Recorded telephone conversations reportedly captured threats directed at business owners who refused to cooperate.
He was also linked to alleged attempts to murder the former husband of his fiancée, with whom he reportedly had a personal dispute. The man survived two assassination attempts, including a shooting in March 2009 in the Nea Filadelfia district of Athens.
Double murder investigation leads to arrest
A double murder in Messinia in November 2011 became a major turning point in the investigation into Varelas and his associates.
The victims were 35-year-old Albanian national Felim Mesai and his two-year-old son. Their bodies were discovered inside a car dumped in an irrigation canal.
Mesai had been shot in the head, while his young son had his throat cut.
Police investigated the killings as a suspected contract murder and identified Varelas as the alleged mastermind behind the attack.
The investigation led to a major police operation involving special forces in Porto Rafti, east of Athens, and the Kalamata area.
A 29-year-old Albanian man, suspected of carrying out the killings, was arrested in Porto Rafti.
Varelas was later located at an isolated property in Messinia, where he was reportedly surrounded by guard dogs. He was arrested while armed with a firearm.
Violent incidents continued in prison
Even after his imprisonment, Varelas remained involved in incidents that attracted police attention.
In January 2015, he reportedly attacked Christodoulos Xiros, a convicted member of the November 17 terrorist organisation, inside Domokos Prison in central Greece. The assault allegedly left Xiros unconscious.
Despite being behind bars and reportedly experiencing serious health problems, Varelas was subsequently implicated in attempts to maintain influence over criminal activities in Kalamata through associates outside prison.
His death at Agios Stefanos Prison is now under investigation, with authorities awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination to establish how he died.
Source: To Vima
