Plautis Carvain

Plautis Carvain is a rich nobleman who travels around Skyrim with his wife Salonia Carvain and one bodyguard. They are on their way to Vittoria's wedding in Solitude. If killed he and his wife can be looted for lots of valuable stuff, and killing him won't be count on your crime record.

Effects of player actions
If you pick his pockets, and are caught, instead of attacking or alerting the guard Plautis says somthing like "well I suppose I can forgive that, this time."

Some time later you will bump into 3 Hired Thugs in the wilderness who breifly talk to the player then attack. On their corpses you find a contract which states that Plautis has sent them to "... teach a lesson to the thief [insert name here]. You need not kill him, but I have no qualms about it if you deem it necessary."

(You don't have to be caught picking his pockets for this to happen.)