S1·E15 The Illusion of Black Gold

Tony Blake stages a real life illusion--making it appear that a Alexander Polchek, a scientist from the Soviet Union, is killed so that he can be given a new identity. Thanks to a leak, however, a band of kidnappers is not fooled. They capture the scientist and hold an auction for his secret of extracting oil from shale rock.

Californiamagic writes: This episode opens with what appears to be a well thought out assassination of a famous scientist at a public press conference..... But in reality Tony is helping to fake the doctor's death so that the doctor can go under an assumed name, and will no longer have to fear for his life. Why all the trouble? Because this doctor has the secret to extract oil from shale! But even with Tony's help, the bad guys figure out the doctor is not really dead, and kidnap him with plans to sell him to the highest bidder.