Leads

In this article from The New York Times, the lead is used as a way to set the stage prior to the occurrence of the newsworthy events.
This lead gives the reader a brief biography of Kweku Adoboli. It supplies information about his educational background and the job he has acquired since his graduation. What the lead fails to do is supply any of the new information or tell the reader why this is important.
The authors are using this type of lead to lull the reader into making assumptions about the subject of the article. They give a positive description of Adoboli before going on to describe the charges he is facing along with the severe repercussions of his alleged actions.
The authors are almost relying on the headline to give the reader a hint toward the outcome of the story.