Total of 26 years for guilty men.
Following a Thames Valley Police investigation, three men have been sentenced to a total of 26 years in prison for drug supply, prostitution and exploitation offences in Milton Keynes.
Catalin Lupau, 34, of Arncliffe Drive in Milton Keynes; Bogdan Stoican, 31, of Willow Way in Potters Bar; and George Pandele, 27, of Swasedale Road in Luton, appeared at Amersham Crown Court on Tuesday for sentence.
At the same court on Friday 24th October, a jury found each man guilty of conspiracy to control prostitution for gain, conspiracy to arrange or facilitate the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and conspiracy to manage a brothel used for prostitution.
At their sentencing hearing Lupau was sentenced to nine years, Stoican was sentenced to eight years and Pandele was sentenced to nine years in prison.
This follows a police investigation which began in October 2024 into a block of flats on Milburn Avenue, which was used to facilitate the supply of class A drugs and transport women to, who were then exploited to engage in prostitution.
Lupau, Stoican and Pandele were responsible for managing this and did so for financial gain.
On 2nd April 2025, officers carried out warrants at the flats and a second address in Milton Keynes, arresting all three men. They were charged the following day.
The following month, Milton Keynes South Neighbourhood Policing Team closed down the block, which contains 24 flats, following repeated reports of anti-social behaviour by neighbours. This meant that no-one was allowed to enter the block except for police and other emergency services, the landlord and authorised building contractors carrying out emergency work.
A/Detective Sergeant James Faithfull, of Thames Valley Police’s Specialist Operations Unit, said: “This is an excellent result following a lengthy and complex investigation which means that Lupau, Stoican and Pandele will now face the consequences for their actions.
“These sentences are testament to the hard and thorough work of the investigation team, partner agencies and local neighbourhood policing team - together we were able to safeguard 18 women as a result of this investigation while ensuring that the life of local residents was improved by closing down the flats in the largest closure order ever used in the Thames Valley area.
“We hope that the outcome of this investigation and the closure order reassures our communities that any kind of criminality which causes disruption and misery to people will not be tolerated by police. We will look into every avenue possible in order to disrupt and put a stop to offending.
“The activity within this block was a significant disruption to the lives of those living in the area, and I would like to again express my thanks to local residents for their patience and support throughout the process of us applying for the closure order. Their co-operation and reports made to police were instrumental in helping us to tackle this blight on the community.
“Supported by Milton Keynes City Council, this closure is an example of how the police, community and council have worked in partnership to achieve a positive result.
“I urge people to please keep reporting incidents of anti-social behaviour in their area to us – we will listen to you and we will take action. You can phone us on 101 or report via our website. Always call 999 in an emergency.”
