Musannaf Ibn Abi Shayba 19:3

Abu Bakr narrated to us, he said: Waki’ narrated to us, from Hisham ibn ‘Urwah, from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Urwah, from al-Farafisah al-Hanafi, who said: They passed by al-Zubayr with a thief, and they interceded for him. They said: "Do you intercede for a thief?" He said: "Yes, as long as he is not brought to the Imam. But if he is brought to the Imam, then may Allah not forgive him if he (the Imam) forgives him."