COLUMBUS — We Care America, a contractor hired by Ohio, used welfare money to buy a new $2,848 Dell computer in January but then had the machine shipped to its office in Washington, D.C., less than a week later.

Now, two months later, We Care America's office phone in Washington, D.C., is disconnected, its Columbus office is vacant, and the Assemblies of God New Jersey District Council is handling the firms' invoices to Ohio.

We Care America's former finance director said the entire company is shut down.

What happened to the computer and other equipment purchased by We Care America is one of the many questions being asked by the Strickland administration.

Under the Taft administration, the Governor's Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives hired the Virginia-based We Care America to administer a program that doles out $11 million a year in welfare money to small organizations and churches.

We Care America, which had ties to the Bush administration, landed a 20-month contract starting in September 2005 for $2.1 million. It is unclear who is performing the work now.

We Care America moved out of its Columbus office the first week of March and the New Jersey district for Assemblies of God, the world's largest Pentecostal church, began processing We Care America's invoices to Ohio in January. Juli D'Ascendis of the Assemblies of God New Jersey District Council declined to comment.

Under its contract with the Governor's Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives, We Care America is responsible for reimbursing grantees after they turn in invoices.

Soon after taking office, Gov. Ted Strickland replaced staff in the faith-based office, hired a new director and ordered a review of contracts and programs. When questions arose about the financial management of the office, Strickland asked for an investigation and audit.

Ohio Inspector General Tom Charles last week opened an investigation into the Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Service began an audit of the office.

A Dayton Daily News story Saturday revealed that We Care America spent welfare money on two $125-a-month parking spaces and office rent, two 50-inch flat screen TVs that aren't fully functional and a $6,000 study that praised the Governor's Office on Faith-based and Community Initiatives.

Strickland press secretary Keith Dailey said that in January the new administration paid We Care America invoices for October through December but held the January invoice until questions were answered.

"As we've been asking questions and reviewing the contracts, it has become apparent over the last several weeks that there were significant issues related to (We Care America)," Dailey said.

Krista Sisterhen, who directed the office under Taft, did not respond to written questions or phone messages. She is now special assistant to the area manager for faith-based and community initiatives at the Corporation for National and Community Service.

We Care America Inc.

What is it? A nonprofit that advises faith-based groups how to get and manage government grants.

Headquarters: Lansdowne, Va.

Employees: 28 in August 2005, plus consultants

Revenues: $3.2 million in 2004

Ohio contracts: $2.1 million from September 2005 to June 2007 to administer $22 million in federal welfare money going to faith-based and community organizations through the Ohio Strengthening Families Initiative. Also responsible for processing payments to small grant recipients in the Ohio Compassion Capital Project.

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> Faith-based company being paid $2.1M by Ohio shuts down
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> Earlier exclusive: Money for faith-based work went astray