The scheme was a classic "pump and dump" stock scam. The mobsters acquired a large position in the stock of HealthTech International Inc., a Mesa, Arizona, health and fitness firm that was traded on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange.
This was a classic case of a 'pump and dump' stock fraud. A group of organized crime figures bought up a significant amount of stock in HealthTech International Inc., a health and fitness firm based in Mesa, Arizona, which was traded on the NASDAQ.