When the theft of a famous painting makes the papers, Neal and Peter think they have a copycat on their hands who is taking inspiration from Neal's past exploits.

The team tracks a lead to a local university where a criminology professor is teaching Neal Caffrey's most famous jobs as part of his curriculum. Neal and Peter think the professor has been using his students to pull off an impressive array of heists that mirror the crimes in his class syllabus. But the professor is smart and he's made sure that all the evidence points to an innocent art student. The question is, how to prove it?

Meanwhile, Alex is back in town and she needs Neal and Mozzie's help. Someone powerful put a price on her head and she thinks it's in connection with the music box. Needing money to disappear, she agreed to fence gold krugerrands for a low-level Detroit criminal, but the criminal learned she's a wanted woman and Alex knows he's going to set her up. Neal thinks he may have a solution that will solve his case and get Alex out of hot water. But if he's wrong, Alex will be caught and an innocent student will go to jail.